Lesotho Paralympians struggle with funding cuts in Paris
NTHAKO MAJORO
MASERU – The much-anticipated Paralympic Games in Paris have once again underscored the plight of Lesotho’s athletes, who find themselves grappling with the consequences of inadequate preparation. As the Games, which kicked off on August 28 and are set to conclude on September 8, the nation’s representatives are facing a stark reality, lack of progress.
Lesotho’s Paralympic team, consisting of just two athletes—Zimisele Khamoqane and Litšitso Khotlele—has been struggling against the odds. The challenges began with Khamoqane’s race on August 31, where he competed in the men’s 400 metre T11. In a disappointing turn of events, Khamoqane fell just before the finish line, failing to complete the race.
Team manager Thabiso Ratšoane provided an update on the performance of Khotlele, who competed in the women’s discus F64 on September 1. Although Khotlele achieved a throw of 23.31 metres, which placed her 11th out of 12 competitors, there was a silver lining. She improved her shot put performance significantly, recording a throw of 7.75 metres—a leap from her previous best of 7.12 metres.
This new result earned her 13th place out of 15 competitors. While Ratšoane expressed satisfaction with Khotlele’s progress in the shot put, he remained deeply troubled by the overall performance of Team Lesotho. According to Ratšoane, the root of the problem lies in the insufficient preparation caused by budget cuts.
“The competition level was exceptionally high, and our athletes’ preparation was inadequate,” Ratšoane lamented in an interview with Public Eye. “With the poor preparation, we could not realistically expect to secure victories.” The crux of the issue, Ratšoane explained, was a significant reduction in funding. The Ministry of Sports, Tourism, Arts, and Culture slashed the budget from M1.5 million to M500,000.
This drastic cut left the team struggling to cover all necessary expenses, including qualification, preparation, attire, flight tickets, and other logistics. Minister of Sports, Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Motlatsi Maqelepo, confirmed this budget reduction during a parliamentary session, acknowledging that the funds were insufficient for proper preparation.
Ratšoane criticised the budgetary constraints, revealing that the allowances for the athletes were also drastically reduced from M50,000 to M15,000. This contrasts sharply with the M50,000 appearance fee given to athletes representing Lesotho at the recent Paris Olympic Games, highlighting a disparity in support for Olympic versus Paralympic competitors. Historically, Lesotho has struggled in the Paralympics, having not won a single medal since making its debut at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, Australia.
Ratšoane explained that the lack of proper training equipment in Lesotho necessitated sending athletes abroad for preparation, often to places like England, where they could access superior facilities and compete against international Paralympic athletes. However, due to the recent budget cuts, sending athletes overseas for such intensive training became financially unfeasible.
“Our athletes used to benefit greatly from these international preparations,” Ratšoane said. “They had the chance to measure their performance against competitors well before the actual Games, which helped them improve.” As the Paris Paralympics continue, the stark contrast between the high level of competition and Lesotho’s preparation remains evident.
The journey of Khamoqane and Khotlele serves as a poignant reminder of the broader systemic issues impacting Lesotho’s athletes. With the Games still ongoing, there remains hope for a turnaround, but the challenges faced underscore the urgent need for better support and preparation for future international competitions.
