Motseremeli lays out vision

MASERU – The new Lesotho Sport and Recreation Commission (LSRC) leadership committee led by Litšitso Motšeremeli has already started work after its election last weekend. Motšeremeli, who is the secretary general of the Federation of Lesotho Rugby (FLR), has taken the reins as the new president of the LSRC and it is the first time in recent memory the commission is being led by an athlete with Motšeremeli having represented Lesotho’s national rugby team with distinction until his retirement two years ago.

An all-round sportsman, Motšeremeli is also a former national bantamweight taekwondo champion who bagged several accolades during his days of competing. The pinnacle of his athletic career came when he went to play in the United Kingdom between 2018 and 2019 for a club called Hackney, which is a rare opportunity for Lesotho athletes in any sport.

Now as the man overseeing Lesotho’s sports associations, one of Motšeremeli’s rallying cry is that athletes must know they are important. It is an unsurprising stand from a man who is one of the founders of Lesotho’s rugby association and who has been integral to its growth since its birth in 2012.

During that time the FLR has grown from strength to strength and has championed the development of its leagues and players. Recently the FLR was recognised as an affiliate nation by the World Rugby. Lesotho is not yet a full member, the country will have to wait another two years to achieve that status, but the FLR’s international recognition is a testament to its values.

From running the day-to-day goings of the fast-rising federation, to being elected as one of the commissioners in the LSRC’s previous committee, Motšeremeli will now be running the LSRC, and by extension, he will have a pivotal say in the direction that sport in Lesotho takes over the next few years.

Will there be any improvements or will the country’s sport continue to stagnate?

Speaking to thepost on Tuesday, Motšeremeli said the new committee has big dreams for the development of sport and they are going to work hard to achieve them. He said he wishes to leave LSRC with a robust structure that can endure, even after he has left.

“I want to leave the commission with at least one big structure, if that structure will still be under construction (when I am done), then I will be happy, we are going to work to have a complete structure that will make it easier for us to host international games,” he said.

One of the main challenges facing the leadership is financial transparency – many have alleged that the ousted committee used the commission’s funds to enrich themselves and fill their own pockets. The outgoing committee has also been accused of not giving federations their subventions.

The LSRC, indeed, became best known for pleading poverty at every turn even though the LSRC’s offices are now at a government property meaning the commission no longer has to pay rent. It is alleged the previous president, Advocate Jobo Rasoko, refused to present the financial report of his committee’s spending and what it did for the commission.

It is further alleged that the LSRC dignitaries which attended Likuena’s game against Ivory Coast in South Africa last week gifted themselves per diems worth M10 000 while the associations they are supposed to be taking care of were left famished.

None of the allegations have been confirmed and Motšeremeli would not be drawn into commenting on them and instead directed the paper to contact the LSRC’s acting chief executive officer, Teboho Malataliana, for a financial report.

However, Motšeremeli was at pain to insist that associations will get their subventions under his leadership.

“I realised from my predecessor’s words that the commission was given M7 million in 2020/21 and received M5 million in 2021/2022 but the associations got nothing,” he said.

“I pledge we will not do that. If we get M7 million, the associations will get their subventions because if it is reported that M7 million was spent, where was it spent? Because it did not go to the federations.”

“The LSRC job is to help the associations,” Motšeremeli continued.

“We are going to work hard to also ensure that the government also doesn’t let us down and not give us the money they had been giving away. Give us the same or increase so that we can see how we help the federations and develop sport from the grassroots.”

Motšeremeli said his biggest dream is to have an indoor sports arena that will accommodate multiple sporting codes. He said the priority is to find a suitable site to build such a venue.
He used swimming as an example.

Motšeremeli said Lesotho’s swimmers are expected to compete internationally yet they do not have a single Olympic sized swimming pool of at least 50 metres. He said having even one swimming pool would go a long way, but these hopes and plans need money and investment.

On Motseremeli’s table is already a pile of work, including disputes from member associations that need to be resolved. The most notable squabble is the one within the athletics federation that was brought to the commission by the Mafeteng District Athletics Association earlier this year.

“I have been a player, I have been an administrator and now I am at the top, I know all of these things,” Motšeremeli said.

“What we are going to do is stick to the law and follow its guidance and whoever that will hate us, at least we will be truthful other than promising things we can’t fulfil,” he continued.

“I can say we will stick to the law and we will support whoever has the law on their side. When it comes to These conflicts, we will have to start from the beginning until we reach a common understanding with people who are fighting.”

Tlalane Phahla