Lesotho's Thabo Molefe (in red) during his win over Vanuatu’s Gill Kalai |
Thabo Molefe
has joined teammate Moroke Mokhotho in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Commonwealth
Games boxing competition, raising Lesotho’s hopes of a medal at the Gold Coast
Games in Australia.
Molefe beat
Vanuatu’s Gill Kalai by a unanimous 5-0 decision in the men’s 52 kilograms round
of 16 stage early on Monday morning at Oxenford Studios where the boxing tournament
is being held.
Molefe will next
face Vidanalange Ishan Bandara of Sri Lanka in the quarterfinals on Wednesday
knowing a win would put him on the verge of winning a medal. The quarterfinal match
is scheduled to take place at 5:47AM Lesotho Time.
Molefe joined
Lesotho’s top boxer Mokhotho in the quarterfinals. Mokhotho, who is fighting in
the 56kg tournament, beat Jean Jordy Vadamootoo of Mauritius by a 3-2 split in the
round of 16 on Saturday.
The 2016 Olympian
will face Northern Ireland’s Kurt Warner in the quarters on Tuesday morning.
Mokhotho goes into the bout hoping to go one better than at the 2014
Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland where he fell at the same quarterfinal stage.
Mokhotho came into
these Commonwealth Games with more experience and confidence after winning gold
at the Zone 4 African Boxing Championship in February in Maputo, Mozambique.
Mokhotho and
Molefe are the only members of Lesotho’s five-strong boxing team to make it
through to the next round of the Gold Coast Games.
‘Mantoa Ranone
lost to New Zealand’s Alexis Pritchard in the women’s 57kg round of 16,
Mokhachane Moshoeshoe lost to New Zealand’s Leroy Hindley in the men’s 69kg round
of 16 and Qhobosheane Mohlerepe lost to Michael McDonagh of Wales in the men’s
60kg round of 16.
Boxing, nevertheless,
appears to be Lesotho’s best hope for success in Australia so far.
In athletics there
was disappointment for Lesotho’s number one sprinter Mosito Lehata on Saturday
as he fell at the semi-final stage of the 100 metres event after he was unable
to finish the race.
There was
similar frustration for his athletics teammates.
Mokulubetse Makatisi (women’s 1500
metres heats) and Lineo Chaka (women’s 10 000 metres final) finished last
in their races while Toka Badboy was disqualified from the men’s 5000 metres
final. Bafokeng Moeti also finished 11th out of 14 athletes in the men’s 69kg weightlifting competition.
But all is not
lost. On Tuesday, Lehata will get another chance to make his mark when he
starts in the heats of his favoured 200 metres event while Lerato Sechele will
contest the women’s triple jump final.
Lesotho is
trying to add to its all-time tally of three medals at the Commonwealth Games –
Moses Kopo’s boxing bronze in 2006 in Melbourne, Sephula Letuka’s boxing bronze
in 2002 in Manchester and Thabiso Moqhali’s marathon gold in 1998 in Kuala
Lumpur.
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