Africa-Press – Lesotho. Minister of Gender, Youth, Sports and Recreation, Hon Kabelo Mafura has advised the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional countries to invest more in sports development at schools as they are the main source of future athletes for every sport code in every country.
Mafura said this on Friday week when officially opened the 2017 Confederation of School Sport Associations of Southern Africa (Cossasa) Ball Games at Setsoto Stadium.
According to Mafura, the first point of contact and exposure to sport for children and youth is at school. He said this is where the basics for the foundation of recreation and sport development must be drilled.
“Our schools are bestowed with the responsibility of making sure that every student/learner receives quality daily physical activity instruction taught by qualified teachers/educators.
The primary aim is to develop and promote motor and physical development of children and youth regardless of age, gender, disability or socio-economic status,” Mafura told the guests, drawn from a number of Southern African countries.
He also mentioned that sport has the capacity to develop the physical, intellectual, social and moral dimensions of life for all countries’ citizens and it that for a long time it has been a platform for communication between nations to bring down barriers and safeguard peace.
“Sport is widely recognized as one of the key domains in which countries have made their mark by rising above the constraints of poverty and discord.
Not only has Africa become respected for the brilliant performances of her athletes, but also for displaying truly honourable ways of integrity, tolerance, solidarity,” added Mafura.
He said there was need for a conducive environment for an active lifestyle with a good selection of physical and sporting activities offered at public facilities where children and the youth can enjoy, reinforce and demonstrate lessons taught and learned.
Cossasa president, Johnson Madhuku, saluted the Lesotho government for injecting money into sport to enhance the young people’s talents. He said Lesotho had never disappointed them in all events that have taken place and also said Lesotho was always available in Cossasa events despite the financial challenges.
Quoting Nelson Mandela who once said, “Sport has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.
It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers,” Madhuku said that has to be always remembered. Lesotho Cossasa organizing committee chairperson, Caswell Moru, said now that the world is enduring high unemployment rates, sports can be the answer to that.
He promised that Lesotho’s investment in sports development will not be in vain but will produce quality athletes that the country will proud of in future.
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