Warm welcome for marathon man Ramakongoana

QACHA’S NEK – EMOTIONAL hugs, tears of joy, and ululations marked today’s warm welcome of Tebello Ramakongoana, Lesotho’s marathon runner who won the Durban challenge.

Ramakongoana, born and raised in Qacha’s Nek, was welcomed by the district residents, friends and family with a convoy of 20 cars and hundreds of people who were waving open palms for him on the sides of the road.

Ramakongoana won the Durban International Marathon on Sunday.
The District Council chairman, Mantsi Tseane, said Ramakongoana “did this for us, he did this for Lesotho”.

“We thank you for putting Lesotho on the map, you made us proud as a country and as a district,” Tseane said.

He encouraged Ramakongoana to work harder and improve his work.

The runner’s mother, Joalane Ramakongoana, could not stop smiling as the Qacha’s Nek town was rallying behind her son chanting and ululating.

“I realised that my son was talented since he was at high school,” the happy mother told thepost.

“I am happy and I would like to thank God for what he did,” she said.

Ramakongoana thanked his supporters, in particular the former Qacha’s Nek district administrator Mosiuoa Nthakong “who helped me achieve my dreams”.

He said Nthakong would do everything in his power to ensure that his athletics needs would be met.

He also thanked his mother who gave him emotional support.

For Ramakongoana winning the Durban International Marathon is not anything new.

This has been part of his life since 10 years back when he started running.

Ramakongoana loved running since he was in high school where he met one of Lesotho’s athletes, Telang Ntherise, who advised him to take athletics seriously, saying it would help him put bread on the table.

“I was not aware that I could do this for living,” Ramakongoana said.

“I was just doing this at school like other students until Telang Nterise told me to improve a little bit of it,” he said.

“He told me if I could be passionate for running I would be a happy man.”

Ramakongoana was always the winner in schools competitions.

The Lesotho Olympic Committee congratulated Ramakongoana for being a winner of Durban International Marathon.

The Commitee said Ramakongoana said it remains “confident that the national record and Olympic qualifying are well within the grasp of this young, talented athlete”.

Thooe Ramolibeli