Seabata Mahao
Twenty (20) athletes from Botha-Bothe Taekwondo Club will compete in various categories in the Next Generation Championships in Eswatini having left the country on Thursday this week.
The annual tournament, scheduled to take place at Bosco Youth Centre in Manzini on July 6 this year, will also features players from Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi, and the host nation, Eswatini.
The Botha-Bothe Taekwondo Club brought home 14 medals including five golds, seven silver medals, and two bronze medals in the 2023 edition of the same tournament, also held at the same venue.
In an exclusive interview with coach, Thabang Thothome emphasised the significance of the tournament in their annual calendar.
He expressed optimism about increasing their medal tally this year, particularly gold medals.
“Our team is ready, and we aim to improve our medal count from last year. This tournament is crucial for us as it provides our athletes with international competition exposure, helping them understand the rules and regulations of the game and learn new fighting techniques and styles,” Thothome said.
He added, “After each tournament, our athletes return more motivated, showing growth in their performance and dedication to the sport. We use this tournament primarily for developing various groups of athletes within the club.”
Thothome explained that the club has three groups of teams namely A, B, and C. This year, they are enrolling team B athletes, while in 2024 they plan to take team C athletes.
“We believe this approach will help us develop a large pool of athletes with the required level of international experience in all divisions. This benefits not only our club but also the national teams, as coaches will have a larger pool of athletes to select from,” Thothome noted.
He stressed the importance of participating in regional and international tournaments to maintain Lesotho’s status as one of the best in taekwondo in the Southern Region and the continent. “If initiatives like this yield the desired results, the country will have more taekwondo stars like Lesotho-born international sensation, Michelle Tau,” he added.
Tau has been raising Lesotho’s profile by winning several international medals. She will represent Lesotho in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, France, from July 26 to August 11, 2024. The Ministry of Tourism, Sports, Arts, and Culture supported Tau with M30,000 during the Lesotho Sport and Recreation Commission (LSRC) annual general meeting at Blue Mountain Inn (BMI) in Teyateyaneng, Berea.
The Botha-Bothe Taekwondo Club team for the Eswatini tournament includes both male and female athletes.
The male athletes are Tumelo Ramakatane, Lerata Libete, Ntlibi Ntlamelle, Reitumetse Thothome, Khotso Tšoeu, Toka Molapo, Katiso Khau, Mitlilase Malefe, Katleho Kotoka, Mofalali Thabisi, Thembani Maseko, Mpho Mabeleng, Seretse Mautse, Khotso Letsielo, Tšitso Rampai, and Lejone Polanka.
The female athletes are Mpho Sebolai, Puseletso Mofokeng, Malefu Seboba, and Keletso Lemphane.
