Pascalinah Kabi
MASERU – Seven local athletes will be honoured next Friday for winning medals at the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) Zone VI games held in Swaziland last year.
The ceremony will be held at Lesotho Sun hotel in Maseru.
The athletes are boxers Qhobosheane Mohlerepe (Gold), Mokhachane Moshoeshoe (Bronze); as well as Litheo Tseisa who also scooped a bronze medal.
Pulane Monyane and Mpho Kotsoane will be honoured for winning a bronze medal in the women’s doubles’ category.
The other two athletes are Lerato Sechele and Jobo Khatoane who won gold and silver medals, respectively.
Sechele won his gold medal in the triple jump section qualifying for the Youth Games to be held in France in June.
Volleyball team Redskins will also be honoured for winning the Inter-club Volleyball Championship in Botswana last year.
Redskins will represent Lesotho at the African Champions Volleyball Tournament in Morocco in April.
Lesotho Sport and Recreaction Commission public relations officer Jobo Raswoko told the Sunday Express that the move to honour the athletes was aimed at motivating the country’s athletes to raise Lesotho’s flag higher at international events.
“Those who brought medals from SCSA games last year as well the volleyball team (Redskins) which brought gold from the volleyball tournament will be honoured on Friday at Lesotho Sun,” Raswoko said.
“We want to honour these people because this might help them perform better in future,” he said.
Raswoko said they intend to honour athletes who excel at international sporting events.
“It is going to be our practice that when people achieve something at international games, they will be honoured for raising the country’s flag high and ensuring that the country’s anthem is sung,” Raswoko said.
“We want to motivate and encourage them as well by giving them the honour they deserve for making this country proud.”
“When you honour people for working hard and achieving something, you give them a reason to work harder in future,” Raswoko said.
“And that makes them set an example for those that will come after them.”