Kick4Life Lesotho has captured international attention after winning the 2025 Laureus Sport for Good Award, a prestigious honour presented annually by the Laureus World Sports Academy to celebrate the transformative power of sport.
The award was officially presented on Monday night, April 21, during a glittering ceremony held in Madrid, Spain. Kick4Life representatives stood proudly among global sporting icons at the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards, an event broadcast across the world.
In his acceptance speech, the Co-founder of Kick4Life, Steve Fleming said commended everyone in the Kick4Life community for helping to make this special moment possible.
“We pledge to use this platform to amplify and accelerate our efforts using sport to transform the lives of vulnerable children and young people in Lesotho,” Fleming said.
Speaking at the event in his award acceptance speech, the Kick4Life Country Director, Motlatsi Nkhahle stated that they are grateful for the recognition of their hard work through the award especially given the five incredible organisation which were nominated.
“Being a member of the Laureus family connects us to this wider global community of sport to which all of us here belong and I believe receiving this award is a vital platform to really amplify and accelerate the work that we are doing in Lesotho.
“We acknowledge the five incredible organisations who were also shortlisted, and the hundreds of brilliant Sport for Good organisations supported by Laureus around the world. It is a special community to be a part of,” Nkhahle explained.
The Laureus World Sports Academy, comprising some of the most iconic names in global sport, selects the winners of the annual awards, lending unmatched prestige to the accolades.
These sporting legends volunteer their time to support Laureus Sport for Good initiatives, all driven by the belief that sport can be a powerful vehicle for social change.
Since the inception of the Laureus Awards in 2000, the event has become a hallmark for recognising the most inspirational stories and triumphs in the sporting world. Seven award categories, including Sport for Good, are determined by over 1,000 sports media professionals from more than 70 countries.
Among the global voting panel this year was Lesotho’s own Mikia Kalati, Public Relations Manager of the Lesotho Football Association (LeFA). Kalati served as one of the judges, joining a select group of seasoned sports journalists and industry experts who assessed nominees for key categories including Sportsman, Sportswoman, Team, and Breakthrough of the Year.
In addition to Kick4Life’s historic win, other notable Laureus 2025 winners included Real Madrid FC, crowned World Team of the Year, Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis (Sportsman of the Year), USA’s Simone Biles (Sportswoman of the Year), and Spain’s Lamin Yamal (Breakthrough of the Year).
China’s Yuyang Jiyang took home the award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability, while Brazil’s Rebecca Andrede won World Action Sportsperson of the Year.
Kick4Life’s recognition places Lesotho firmly on the global map, not just as a footballing nation, but as a country where sport is making real, lasting impact on communities.
Seabata Mahao is a general news reporter with special focus on Business and Sports.
Started working at Newsday in 2021.
has an Associate Degree in Journalism and Media.
