Moorosi Tsiane
SPRINTER Mosito Lehata, who just returned to the international stage from a long absence battling with injuries, is on the mend and recently clocked 10:15 to finish third in a 100m race at the Internacional Memorial Barrientos Meeting in Havana, Cuba.
Lehata and triple and long jumper Lerato Sechele are on a five-week long training camp, which started on 7 June 2019 in Cuba as they prepare for the All Africa Games to be staged from 19 to 31 August this year in Rabat, Morocco.
Lehata had recorded 10:21 to finish second at the Gaborone Meeting early this year to book his spot at the All Africa Games.
Lerato Sechele on the other hand, jumped 13.02m in triple Jump and had to settle for 4th place.
The duo is still under the Lesotho National Olympic Committee (LNOC) High-Performance programme and have travelled with their coach Salas Durant.
The camp started at the 73rd edition of the Internacional Memorial Barrientos Meeting in Havana. This is a premier event in the Caribbean region with 10 countries represented.
Sechele and Lehata are faced with a tough competition from other athletes from the hosts Cuba, Jamaica, USA, Mexico, Colombia and Bahamas.
Lesotho Amateur Athletics Association (LAAA) spokesperson Sejanamane Maphathe said they were impressed by Lehata’s progress and they hope that he will be able to qualify for the World Championships which will be held later this year.
“He is really promising and there is evidence that there is really some progress and we hope and believe that by July, he would have qualified for the world championships. Although they are preparing for the All Africa Games, the World Championships are the main target,” Maphathe said.
Maphathe said they are also happy with the progress that Lehata has shown since he started working with Durant.
“The results are starting to show, there is positive progress and that means that they are working well. We are happy because we always wants what is best for the athlete,” he said.
On Sechele’s performance, Maphathe said he is confident that she will do well and said she may have been affected by fatigue.
“Without any doubt, she is a good athlete and we know she can do better. Maybe she was tired but we believe she will also qualify for the World Championships.
“The training camp is crucial for the pair but also tough, so it will help them because they will also be involved in several competitions in Cuba,” Maphathe said.