Moorosi Tsiane
The Lesotho Amateur Boxing Association (LABA) has failed to find a fulltime coach for two boxers who were provided two-year scholarships to prepare for next year’s Olympic Games scheduled for Brazil.
The Lesotho National Olympic Committee (LNOC) says the scholarships can only be activated once LABA meets this requirement, leaving the two boxers— Moroke Mokhotho and Suntele Inkululeko—in the cold.
Mokhotho and Inkululeko, Lerato Sechele (triple and long jump), Ntšeke Setho (swimming) and Mosito Lehata (sprinter), were awarded the scholarships in August last year, and the other three have since embarked on their respective training programmes.
LNOC Chief Executive Officer, Morake Raleaka, told the Sunday Express: “The primary requirement was that an association must find a fulltime coach for the beneficiaries of the scholarships, and unfortunately, LABA has not been able to meet this requirement to this day.
“Because of this, the sponsorship has to be put on hold until LABA fulfills this crucial requirement. We held discussions with LABA officials and the agreement was they would find the coach by November last year. But up to now, they have failed, which is very sad because it means the two boxers cannot benefit from this scholarship. The scholarship started in September last year but we had to put it on hold until LABA provide the boxers with a coach.”
Asked about the issue, LABA president, Takatso Ramakhula said: “I am not going to comment on this issue; all I can say is I was not even aware that the sponsorship had been put on hold.”
Comments are closed.