Leemisa Thuseho
LESOTHO’S leading female boxer, Rapelang Maselela, has reached another milestone after winning silver at the inaugural World Boxing Africa Championships in Nairobi, Kenya.
Maselela lost to Uganda’s Vanessa Nagawa via a Referee Stopped Contest (RSC) in Thursday’s women’s featherweight final (54–57kg), settling for silver as Nagawa claimed gold.
The Lesotho boxer had booked her place in the final on Tuesday after defeating Tanzania’s Zawadi Kutaka Amos, while Nagawa advanced to the gold medal bout with a victory over Algeria’s Douaa Rouaz.
Although the nation had rallied behind Maselela in the hope of seeing her clinch gold, the silver medal remains a commendable achievement for a boxer who only made her debut at major international competitions this year.
Maselela has become a household name since making history in August by becoming the first female athlete from Lesotho to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games. She claimed bronze at the Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Lesotho coach, Thabiso Nketu, said returning home with silver was a significant achievement, particularly at a major competition of this nature.
“The fights were not easy, but we have done our best, and we are bringing something home,” Nketu told the Sunday Express on Friday.
He described the championships as part of Maselela’s learning curve, adding that there would be little time for rest as the team prepared for a busy schedule next year in pursuit of qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
“We have seen where we have to improve. Even now, despite having finished our fights, we continue to have morning and afternoon training and sparring sessions until we return home,” he said.
“There is no time for rest. We want to qualify for the upcoming Olympic Games, so we are having a very busy schedule next year.”
Meanwhile, Lesotho’s other representative at the championships, Monaheng Khebe, failed to progress beyond the preliminary rounds in the 65kg division after losing to Angola’s Bernardo early in the competition.
Both Maselela and Khebe are beneficiaries of Olympic Solidarity (OS) athlete scholarships, which support their preparations and qualification campaigns for the 2028 Olympic Games.