21 Mar 2018

Although this country is doing relatively well in athletics, particularly in track and field events, high jump is one area which is yet to do catch up.

However, the emergence of Lesang Ngidi brings hope this is set to change.

The 17 -year-old recently caught the eye of spectators during Botswana Tertiary Student Sports Association (BOTESSA) athletics national championships where he featured as a guest against Gobe Takobana and Pilane Mosielele.

Ngidi finished on position two with 1.98 metres Personal Best while Takobana won gold with 2.10 metres. The result is a clear indication that with proper training and guidance, Ngidi has something to offer the nation.

He said in an interview   that he started jumping while doing tandard four at Baobab Primary School, before moving to Phakalane primary for his Standard six and seven where he continued with the sport.

He then moved to Prestige College in Pretoria where he continued pursuing his passion of jumping. During the Pretoria A-Bond Championships he won gold before bagging a bronze in the Gauteng North Championships last year.

The athlete will continue with the sport in Europe where he hopes to start his medical training under a sports scholarship.

He said for him to fully qualify for the scholarship, he had to jump 2.04 metres, adding he was confident that with more competitions he would make it.

“Like I said there are standards that I must reach to get the scholarship. For me there is division two and one, but so far I have reached division two which is good and I can see that I am making progress. So soon I will be going to America,” he said.

Furthermore, Ngidi said he was cognisant of the fact that that there was shortage of high jumpers in the country, hence he found it paramount to work very hard so that he could catch the eye of the national team scouts.

“I love high jump and I am happy that Kabelo Kgosiemang motivates and inspires me especially since I started training with him. He is one of the people who helped me to reach heights that I never imagined. Also in South Africa there is a guy I went to school with Chris Molea and he is one person I look up to as well as  Qatarihigh jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim,” he said.

His family, he said was supportive and  always encouraged him to balance education and sport.

Some track and field pundits are of the view that the country is failing to produce quality high jumpers because high jump is technical hence the need for specialised coaches in the area. Ends