Local athletes at Swazi cross country meet

A 16 member Lesotho Amateur Athletics Association (LAAA) team will take part in the Swaziland cross country athletics meeting, scheduled for February 29 in Mbabane, LAAA public relations officer Moholi Tsoinyane, has announced.

The team, led by manager Makara Kheekhe, leaves the country on Saturday February 28 and comprises both senior and juniors. Events will include the 12 and eight kilometre races for senior men and six kilometres for juniors while in the women's sections, there will be an eight kilometre race for seniors and a four kilometre run for juniors.

Included among the athletes are Moeketsi Mosuhli and Kopano Pekile who are expected to bring home some medals and 'Mamoroallo Tjoka, likely to do the same in the women's category. The team was selected at a national cross-country race held at Hlotse in October last year.

The regional cross-country run aims at promoting and building friendship and cooperation through sports in the southern region and is part of preparations for World Cross Country events scheduled for Brussels, Belgium later this year, Tsoinyane said.

Though the local team is made up of seasoned athletes, Tsoinyane warned that Zimbabwe and Zambia posed a threat because of previous performances. There is no qualifying standards in the cross country
events since only positions and not the speed are considered, he said.

The southern Africa region's cross country event is held annually in the member countries and Lesotho has held the event twice in the past, separately for the juniors and seniors.

27 February 2004