HE is not just the founding President of Lesotho Table Tennis Association (LTTA), but he is also the longest serving chief of the association in the history of the sport in Lesotho.
sports
June 12, 2021
TEBOHO JAFETA
5 min read
Table tennis pundit, Lesotho’s only Orthotist, Prosthetist, Chabeli Mohatlane
President of Lesotho Table Tennis Association (LTTA) Chabeli Mohatlane
He served at the helm of the body from 1997 until 2010 and again from 2018 to date.
As a highly trusted member of the local table tennis family, Chabeli Mohatlane has done a lot to ensure the growth of the sport in the country.
He is actually the first Lesotho national to obtain an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) coaching qualification.
As LTTA President, he hosted the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Table Tennis Championships in Maseru in 2019, the first in the country.
As the Region 5 AUSC Secretary General, he helped South Africa win the bid for the 2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships after delivering a powerful presentation in 2020 via video conference.
South Africa will consequently host the 2023 Table Tennis World cup to be staged in Durban, the first on the African continent.
The well-travelled Mohatlane attended several international table tennis games including the World Cups, the African and zonal championships in various countries as an official – Treasurer in Zone 6, Member of Sports Science Commission African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Member of Lesotho Sports and Recreation Commission (LSRC), HIV/AIDS Commission Member and also as President of LeTTA.
He attended the 2005 World Table Tennis Championships in Shanghai, China, the 2007 Zagreb, Croatia World Table Tennis Championships, the 2008 Guangzhou World Table Tennis Championships in China, the 2009 Yokohama World Table Tennis Championships in Japan, the 2010 Moscow World Table Tennis Championships in Russia and the 2019 Budapest World Table Tennis Championships in Hungary.
He also attended the Zone VI Table Tennis Championships in Benoni South Africa in 2009, the 2003 African Senior Table Tennis Championships in Senegal and in Mauritius in 2004.
He attended the 2000 MUCPPT Tournament in Bloemfontein, South Africa and the 2000 SA Open in Cape Town.
He was at the 2002 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships in Manchester, England and the 2019 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships in Cuttack, Odisha State, India.
He attended the 2002 Western Province Table Tennis Tournament in Cape Town, South Africa and the International Table Tennis Tournament in Gaborone, Botswana the same year.
He represented Lesotho at the 7th All Africa Games in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1999.
Mohatlane is a highly qualified table tennis coach who has over the years obtained several qualifications both locally and internationally.
In July 1996, he obtained a Sports Organising Certificate in Maseru before obtaining a similar certificate the following year in Maseru.
In 1998, he received a Sports Management (PWL) Certificate in Maseru and a Sports Medicine Certificate the following year.
In 2000, Mohatlane obtained an International Olympic Committee (IOC) – Olympic Solidarity Coaching Certificate in Benoni, RSA. Two years later he obtained an Aids Awareness Campaign Participation Certificate before receiving an ITTF Coaching Certificate in October 2002.
The same month, he received a Performance Management Participation Certificate in Maseru before obtaining an ITTF Teachers Coaching Certificate in Maseru in 2004.
He also obtained a Level One National Umpires Certificate in 2007 and a National and Provincial Umpires Certificate in Benoni, RSA in 2008.
Mohatlane is the current Secretary General of AUSC Region 5 Table Tennis Confederation after he was elected in 2019.
He became the Secretary of the Interim Committee of the Lesotho Sports Medicine Commission from 2000 to 2007.
Between 2005 and 2012, he was the Treasurer of the Confederation of Southern African Table Tennis Associations. After acquiring several coaching qualifications, he became the first Mosotho national coach from 1996 to date.
From 2006 to 2010, he served as a Member of the Science Commission of Africa after becoming a member of the Lesotho Sport & Recreation Commission (LSRC) and serving in the HIV and AIDS Committee from 2007 until 2010.
Born on September 10, 1971, Chabeli Ismael Mohatlane is the son of the late Thabo Mohatlane and ’Machabeli Adelinah Mohatlane of Khubetsoana, Berea. He is the second child in the family of three children, two boys and a girl.
He did his primary education at Hoohlo Primary School and completed in 1985. Then he proceeded to Mabathoana High School where he obtained a Junior Certificate in 1988 and a Cambridge Overseas School Certificate (COSC) in 1991.
In 1992, he obtained a Computer Studies Certificate from Lerotholi Polytechnic.
He received a Certificate of Excellence in ABC – Orthotics and Prosthetics Trial Examination from the University of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania in August 1995 before graduating with a Diploma in Orthopaedics Technology from the same university in October 1995.
In 2001, he obtained a Diploma in Coaching and Sports Sciences with a major in Table Tennis from the University of Semmelweis in Hungary.
He obtained a Diploma in Medical Technology Orthotics and Prosthetics from the Tshwane University of Technology in 2006 before he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Technology Medical RSA Orthotics & Prosthetics from the same institution in 2008.
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Mohatlane started playing table tennis at the age of seven as Grade Two pupil at Hoohlo Primary. He was introduced to the sport by his father Thabo Mohatlane who was a renowned table tennis player.
His father taught him how to play at home before he fell in love with the sport.
During his school days, he also played lawn tennis, boxing, badminton, football and athletics.
Mohatlane is Lesotho’s only registered orthotist and prosthetist, a branch of medicine dealing with the manufacture and fitting of artificial human limbs.
In his professional field, he obtained several short course certificates internationally. He received a certificate at SAOPA Congress in Sun City, South Africa in 2011. He obtained another Certificate at SAOPA Congress in Durban, SA in September the following year.
In February 2013, he received the ISPO World Congress Hyderabad Certificate in India. He attended Kids Workshop Africa and obtained a certificate in Otto Bock. Midrand, SA in February 2014 before obtaining a Treatment of Lymphoedema certificate in North Florida, USA in May 2014.
In May 2014, he attended the OT World Congress in Liepsig, Germany and obtained a Certificate. In May 2015, he obtained ISPO World Congress certificate in Lyon, France.
After he completed his studies, he worked at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital as an Orthotist and Prosthetist until 2013 when he joined CTM Orthopaedics, where he is still based.
He is married to ’Matiti Mohatlane and the couple has a boy.
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