Team Lesotho is flying the national flag high at the ongoing African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Youth Games in Windhoek, Namibia, with inspiring performances across several sporting disciplines.
Representing the Kingdom in table tennis, lawn tennis, beach and indoor volleyball, swimming, and boxing, Lesotho’s young athletes are showcasing not only raw talent but also the rewards of increasing national investment in youth sports.
In one of the most notable achievements of the games, Lesotho’s table tennis team captured a historic bronze medal, the country’s first-ever podium finish in the sport at the AUSC Region 5 Youth Games.
Grouped with powerhouses South Africa and Angola, Lesotho started strong with a convincing 3–0 win over Angola. A competitive 3–1 loss to South Africa was enough to advance them to the semi-finals. In a nail-biting encounter, Lesotho narrowly lost 3–2 to hosts Namibia, but their place in the top four secured the historic medal.
In the girls’ doubles on Monday, Zanele Mofechane and Nthabiseng Raleie added to the momentum, defeating Angola’s Filomena Ferraz and Maria Simao 3–0 before falling to Zimbabwe by the same margin.
In Windhoek’s courts, Mpho Leshoele and Kamohelo Khabele have flown Lesotho’s colours with grit and determination. Leshoele lost a tightly contested match to South Africa’s Simphiwe Ngwenya (1–6, 6–3, 1–6), but bounced back with an emphatic 6–1, 6–0 win over Malawi’s Lusekero Kawole.
He now plays in classification rounds for 17th and 18th place. Khabele also showed promise with a 6–4, 7–5 win against Malawi’s Maggie Banda before falling to Zimbabwe’s Kudzai Chakanyuka (4–6, 2–6). She will now compete for 15th place.
The girls’ beach volleyball duo of Thabelang Letsatsi and Lerato Chakache proved to be one of Lesotho’s standout teams. After topping their group with wins over Botswana, Malawi, and Mozambique, the pair fell 2–1 in a tense semi-final against Zimbabwe. Their bronze medal hopes were dashed by Mozambique in a 2–0 playoff loss, but their semi-final appearance signals real growth for Lesotho in beach volleyball.
Though Lesotho’s indoor volleyball squad did not progress beyond the group stage, their campaign was marked by determination. They lost 3–1 to Zimbabwe and 3–2 to Malawi, both close contests, before bouncing back with a dominant 3–0 win over Namibia.
In the pool, young swimmer Mokheseng Mphofe delivered a personal best in the 100m freestyle, clocking 1:25.87, surpassing his previous best of 1:27.29. In the 50m freestyle, Mphofe placed seventh in his heat (00:34.09), with teammate Naleli Makote finishing in 00:48.13. The times may not have earned medals, but they signal strong potential for future improvement.
In the ring, Lesotho’s boxers made a statement with three big wins. Relebohile Moso dominated Namibia’s Deli Pwakuala in the 51kg flyweight bout. Reabetsoe Mokhitli impressed against Namibia’s Kalingodi Matheus in the 54kg bantamweight division.
Meanwhile, Mvokelelo Snyman scored a commanding victory over Malawi’s Banda Chifundo Lozani in the 57kg featherweight fight.
Seabata Mahao is a general news reporter with special focus on Business and Sports. Started working at Newsday in 2021. Working in a team with a shared goal is what I enjoy most and that gives me the motivation to work under any environment leading to growth.
