Africa-Press – Lesotho. Lesotho Sports and Recreation Commission (LSRC), Lesotho National Olympic Committee (LNOC) and the Ministry of Gender, Youth, Sports and Recreation (MGYSR) have revealed
their standpoint regarding the Covid-19 relief fund and plans on the resumption of sports. This was revealed at the press conference held at LNOC House on Monday, with the
intention to address the ongoing allegations on media fraternities by sports associations that, “they are not getting support from responsible sports bodies”.
The Director of Sports Puisano Tšosane said MGYSR’s mandate is to make policies, rules and regulations that will help LSRC and LNOC to operate well and also to
make a conducive environment for availability of sports and recreation in the country. She revealed that the ministry as well seeks funds for development and
assistance of sports and has requested M6 million from the Ministry of Finance, which promised to disburse part of the request. She cited that other ministries
have also requested for funds from the finance ministry in attempt to alleviate the effects of the Covid-19, hence the ministry was not able to give them the
whole amount they requested. LSRC Public Relations Officer (PRO) Thabo Rakhomo pointed that the existing Covid-19 conditions alters the progression of sports.
He therefore gave a short brief of the purpose of the commission, saying it facilitates growth and development of sports in Lesotho through its affiliates.
“An association qualifies to be a member by showing the following characteristics,
its existence within 3 to 10 districts of the country meaning it has more power to survive even beyond the assistance or support of LSRC and it is also fully
registered with the law office. That means every association can sue or be prosecuted, this character making independent in its administration. LSRC gives
out the technicality of each sporting code so that by the time the ministry offers subvention to be distributed to the associations, that grant can be distributed
in compliance with uniform programs they each presented before LSRC. Therefore during the bankruptcy of LSRC, with or without its support, every association
has to survive through its way of making money or way of developing its membership,” Rakhomo explained. He said when the commission did not get funds from
the ministry, every independent association had to come up with new ways of generating income. LNOC PRO Moshoeshoe Molapo indicated that LNOC’s work is similar to that of LSRC
regarding the administration of its affiliates except that LNOC has to request for support from its different other affiliates from the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) through its sustaining section of Olympic Solidarity (OS). “The plans and developments that LNOC performs need approval from OS, if the associations
need support, they have to give out executed programs to the LNOC that will provide a required prove to the OS so that it supports those programs without
hesitation,” he said. He went on to say LNOC is trying by all means to carry out its work and responsibilities by finding support for athletes, “as we earlier made an
announcement that the association formulated a partnership with other organizations from countries like China to get Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that were distributed among players, associations and other partners to combat this pandemic,” Molapo noted.
For More News And Analysis About Lesotho Follow Africa-Press
