Lesotho to shoot for gold at 2018 Africa Youth Games

Team Lesotho heads to Algeria...

Lesotho will compete in six disciplines at the 2018 Africa Youth Games next week looking for its first gold medal at the showpiece.

The championships will be held in the Algerian capital Algiers and will see the continent’s best young talents converge for glory.

The Africa Youth Games are held every four years to complement the All-Africa Games and are contested by athletes between the ages of 14 and 17 years. This year’s showpiece will run from July 17 to 27 and will serve as a qualifier for the 2018 Youth Olympics Games which will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina later this year in October.

In Algeria, Lesotho will compete in athletics, beach volleyball, boxing, taekwondo, tennis and weightlifting; in total, the team will comprise 18 athletes.

Team Lesotho will be spearheaded by the athletics team which will comprise Matšeliso Seatle in the girls’ 1500 metres, Mojela Konoshe in the boys’ 100 metres and Tšepang Motjolopane in the boys’ 3000 metres races.

Lesotho also has high hopes in boxing where Phomolo Lengola will compete in the boys’ 56 kilogram class while Lehlohonolo Pitso will box in the 75kg competition. The Africa Youth Games will be Lengola’s second major youth competition in just over a year after he reached the quarterfinal at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas last June.

In beach volleyball Lesotho will have a girls team of Montšeng Mabea and Matšeliso Nchakha and a boys pair of Nqheku Lepheane and Liteboho Mohau.

In taekwondo, Teboho Phasumane and Katleho Mokone will compete in the girls’ competition while Tumelo Mosala will fight in the boys’ section. In weightlifting Relebohile Mokhele will contest the girls’ 44 kg and Raballo Ramoneng will compete in the boys’ 56kg.

Finally, in tennis, Kekeletso Moseme and ‘Manyama Maisa will compete in the girls’ event while Nyathi Motlojoa and Mpaleng Sempe will be in the boys’ draw. The four prospects will also compete in the doubles and mixed doubles tournaments.

Team Lesotho will leave for Algiers on Sunday, July 15, and will return on July 29.