Maluti Mountain Cement (MMC) has injected M100 000 into the Lesotho Basketball Association (LBA) International Basketball Tournament, giving a major boost to the return of high-level basketball competition to the Mountain Kingdom.
The tournament is scheduled for 4-6 September, 2026 at Lehakoe Recreational Centre, where national teams from Botswana and Eswatini, alongside provincial clubs from South Africa, are expected to compete in both the men’s and women’s categories. Matches will be played on the centre’s indoor and outdoor courts.
The LBA welcomed MMC’s sponsorship, describing it as an investment not only in the tournament but also in the development of local athletes and the promotion of Lesotho on the international sporting stage.
“Your support is more than just sponsorship, it is an investment in the growth of basketball, the development of our athletes and the promotion of Lesotho on the international sporting stage,” the association said.
The M100 000 contribution will help the LBA meet key tournament costs, including venue hire and prize money, while also assisting with logistical requirements for participating national teams, such as meals.
LBA president MolupeRatšolo said bringing international tournaments back to Lesotho was one of the commitments the current leadership made when it took office.
“We are happy LSRC helped us with our applications, we thank the MMC and we are going to have a beautiful tournament,” Ratšolo said.
He said the success of last year’s tournament had given the association confidence to build an even stronger competition.
“We are always going to other countries thinking we cannot host tournaments like this. We hosted it last year and we saw the work we did and we are going to build on that,” he said.
For the LBA, the tournament is about more than competition. Ratšolo said exposing local players to stronger opposition would help raise the standard of basketball in Lesotho, while giving younger players role models to emulate.
“Our wish is to have high-level competition and be able to compete with other countries. It helps that young players see their seniors on the stage and are encouraged that they can start from primary schools to build their sport,” he said.
Botswana, which won last year’s tournament, is expected to return to defend its title, while the LBA is awaiting confirmation from other invited teams.
MMC Sales and Marketing Manager MakoaSemethe said the company’s support reflected its belief that basketball and other sporting codes should receive greater corporate backing.
“Basketball and other sporting codes deserve the same support traditionally given to football,” Semethe said.
He pointed to MMC’s previous support for other sporting disciplines as evidence of the company’s broader commitment to sport.
“We have supported volleyball in the past in Thaba-Bosiu, we have also helped rugby, so it is our wish that other sporting codes grow as well,” he said.
The LBA expressed its gratitude to MMC for joining the tournament as a sponsor, saying the partnership would help create an event filled with “big basketball, big energy and big moments.”
The association said the partnership was also about creating a lasting sporting legacy for Lesotho.
“Together, we are building more than just a tournament, we are building a legacy with our most trusted cement in the country,” he said.
Summary
- The LBA welcomed MMC’s sponsorship, describing it as an investment not only in the tournament but also in the development of local athletes and the promotion of Lesotho on the international sporting stage.
- “Your support is more than just sponsorship, it is an investment in the growth of basketball, the development of our athletes and the promotion of Lesotho on the international sporting stage,” the association said.
- “We have supported volleyball in the past in Thaba-Bosiu, we have also helped rugby, so it is our wish that other sporting codes grow as well,” he said.
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.
