Africa-Press – Lesotho. Lesotho’s taekwondo team has racked up nine medals at the ongoing African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Youth Games making it the host nation’s most successful sport at the regional event.
The tally of nine medals includes four gold, six silver and one bronze and has been a smaller silver lining for Team Lesotho. Lesotho’s medals were won over the first two days of the tournament where the team claimed three gold medals on Monday before adding one more gold on Tuesday as well as five silver medals.
The Lesotho Taekwondo Association (LTA) is making its debut at the Region 5 Youth Games and, before the tournament started, the association’s spokesperson, Skh’okh’e Moroke, said they want to use the competition as a stepping stone to develop the athletes and give them competition experience.
After Tuesday’s fights there was sense of satisfaction amongst LTA executives who felt the athletes had done well given the shoddy preparations they had to deal with in the build-up to the games.
Puseletso Lekanyane, who is leading Lesotho’s taekwondo team in these games, said he was very excited with the performance his athletes had put in. He said the team’s performance offered a foundation to build on given this is their first international competition.
“I wasn’t expecting results like this given when we first made the team selection the Covid-19 infections were high and the athletes could not attend trainings because of school,” Lekanyane said.
“If I have to estimate, I think they trained for 10 days because they were training a day and a half in a week and we started training in November, only three is now left.
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Lekanyane said Lesotho could have added more gold medals to the tally in Tuesday’s action.
“Yesterday’s (Monday) performance was very good, even today (Tuesday) it was good, but I think today our fighters put themselves under pressure after seeing the results yesterday and they were bit greedy,” he said.
The athletes that were selected to represent Lesotho are the ones that won their fights locally. Lekanyane was quick to warn them that their compatriots that didn’t make the team are not far behind and are hungry for exposure.
He said they will give Lesotho’s AUSC fighters tough competition when they return to local competitions. Two of the five silver medals Lesotho won could have easily been gold medals.
Refiloe Khoete took on Eswatini’s Kimberly Dlamini in the under 49 kilograms category and was leading 13-4 in round one but ended up losing the fight 17-16.
In round two Khoete was visibly tired and could no longer lift her leg and that allowed her opponent to capitalise and claim the gold medal. The other fight Lesotho lost, and which left Lekanyane seething with anger, was that of Liposo Ranoka.
The fight was marred a point-scoring controversy which saw Ranoka’s opponent being awarded three points in round one when the points should have gone to him.
After a protest, the points were reversed to Ranoka. It looked as if the fight would continue and everyone was happy when the judges at the table controversially reversed their decision again.
On his way to the final, Ranoka had an incredible fight against his Botswana counterpart and won 36-27. After his semi-final fight, Ranoka spoke to thepost.
He said he was delighted with his victory and said it was a difficult one as he is still struggling with fitness. Just before the games started, Ranoka fell ill and could not train, and was playing catch up to others.
Despite losing the final in unquestionable ways, Ranoka had an impressive fight again. “We lost the fight at the table,” his coach Lekanyane said. “It was clear because my player kicked his opponent on the head and his points went to the opponent,” he added.
“I requested that they (judges) change the scores and they agreed, but after some time they are saying we were wrong, I am not happy with that at all.
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Lesotho’s medals:
WOMEN
Liteboho Motsohi (-46kg) gold medal
Refiloe Khoete (-49kg) silver medal
Lipuo Molise (-59kg) silver medal
Nthatisi Molelekoa (-42kg) silver medal
MEN
Mpho Mofammere (-45kg) gold medal
Karabo Thokoa (-59kg) gold medal
Chao Rantšeli (-68kg) gold medal
Liposo Ranoka (-48kg) silver medal
Lerato Maphathe (-51kg) silver medal
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