Leemisa Thuseho
LESOTHO’s Germany-based taekwondo star Michelle Tau is looking forward to starting her season in style when she competes in the 12th edition of the African Taekwondo Championship in Dakar, Senegal.
The championships started underway yesterday and will end today.
Tau will start fighting today (Sunday) and will only know her opponent a few hours before the fight.
Tau is the only athlete from Lesotho at championships. This will also be her first competition in 2021. Tau was last in action in November 2020 during the European Clubs Championships where she won a silver medal.
After spending over six months away from competitive taekwondo, Tau said she was targeting to win the African Championships. She said she was delighted to be back in action.
“This is my first competition for the season and my target is the first place because I have goals and objectives to fulfill and prove to myself how much I have developed,” Tau said.
“The first place is one of the hardest to get to but it is a good motivator. At the same time, it feels really good to be back in action. It is also good that I can measure my progress.
“I am the only Lesotho athlete at the games but I am with my other teammates from different countries whom I train with in Germany.”
She said it has been a challenge period for her being away from home during the prevailing Covid-19 period particularly when she must work hard to improve her career.
“I am always worried being away from my family during the pandemic. There was a time I could not train and I lost motivation.
“However, it made me realise that even after taekwondo, I needed to provide for myself.”
Tau gave credit to the Lesotho National Olympic Committee (LNOC) for keeping her in Germany on an Olympic Solidarity Scholarship as she believes her stay will help her improve her career. Tau currently ranked fourth in Africa and 31st in the world.