Qacha’s Nek, June.03 — Hermitage High School Grade 10 pupil Ms. Likeleli Binyane turned fear into victory after claiming first position in the Lesotho National Olympic Committee (LNOC) public speaking competition held in Maseru.
Participating schools included Leqele High School, Leribe English Medium School, Molapo High School, Mohale’s Hoek English Medium School, and St Agnes High School.
For this performance, Hermitage High School earned a place on Team Lesotho for the next level of competition, where they will compete with other African countries including Uganda, Botswana, and South Africa in August 2026.
The country will host students from six participating nations in a regional competition covering debate, public speaking, poetry, essay writing, and quiz categories. The selected team comprises learners from Molapo, Leribe, Mohale’s Hoek, Hermitage, Leqele, and St Stephens.
Speaking to the Agency, Ms. Binyane said she did not allow fear to control her.
She said that prior to the competition, she was scared. “I am still in disbelief that I won,” she said, adding that recognising they were all students helped her take control and treat the competition as a game she wanted to enjoy, unaware that it would actually work in her favour. “I am so happy that I won,” she said.
She said the support from her teachers, coach, and fellow students helped her succeed. “We supported each other and told each other that we can do this,” she said.
Ms. Binyane said it was her first time participating at national level, but she loves debating. “I love the English language a lot and realised that it is important as it is an international language, and it can be challenging if you don’t know it,” she said.
She added that debate has helped her become active in class by answering questions when teachers ask, gaining confidence, and remaining humble even after success.
She appealed to fellow pupils to have confidence, saying: “It is beneficial to trust yourself and have confidence, face your fears. Don’t allow it to control you. Test and fail or pass to reach your full potential.”
Hermitage High School Principal ’Masamuel Koko said purpose and dedication of the pupils along with their teacher coach helped the school emerge victorious.
“I am super proud and I am happy because we make our pupils aware that they shouldn’t be scared to compete against English-medium schools because they are also capable. They are obliged to speak English at school, therefore they should not be afraid when they compete against English-medium schools,” she said.
She added, “It is evident that they understood this because when you were watching them, you would see very confident, fearless learners, and you could not differentiate that they were from Qacha’s Nek. They did so well.”
She also praised the teacher, noting that the languages department generally works as a team and often excels because of that.
She revealed that it was the first time Hermitage reached this level nationally in this particular competition. Previously, they had emerged victorious, but not at a level that resulted in them representing the district at national level.
She said both teachers and pupils have accepted the notion that people from the highlands differ from those in the lowlands, forgetting that they are all trained in the same institutions and therefore all capable.
“As teachers and parents, we should allow students to participate in competitions like this because it gives them exposure as they mingle with pupils from other schools. When they come back, they have something new to share and they improve,” she said.
“Parents should be willing to support their children financially. It is a struggle when we ask for such support even though it benefits their children and the growth of the school. Sometimes learners don’t even know their strengths, and competitions like this help them find their niche and reach their potential.”
Mr. Pulumo Nchakha, LNOC’s Communications and Marketing Officer, said the competition was inspired by LNOC’s commitment to promoting Olympics, education through sport, leadership development, and youth engagement.
“We recognised the need to create a platform where young people can discuss critical issues affecting sport while developing skills such as critical thinking, research, public speaking, and teamwork,” he said.
He said while LNOC has implemented various youth development and educational programmes over the years, this debate initiative represents a strategic effort to strengthen intellectual engagement in sport and prepare young leaders to contribute meaningfully to the sporting sector.
He said the main objectives of the competition were to promote Olympic values and education through sport among young people, to develop communication, leadership, and critical-thinking skills, to encourage youth participation in discussions on sport development, to identify and nurture talented debaters who can represent Lesotho at regional and international platforms, and to strengthen partnerships between schools and the sporting movement in advancing youth development.
Going forward, he said LNOC intends to expand the programme to reach more schools and districts across the country. “We also aim to strengthen mentorship opportunities, provide additional training for participants, and create more platforms where young people can engage in discussions around sport, leadership, and social development,” he said.
He added: “The long-term vision is to establish the competition as a sustainable pathway for youth empowerment and sports education.”
He said the response has been “overwhelmingly positive,” with participants demonstrating increased confidence, improved public speaking skills, and a stronger appreciation of the role of sport in society. Schools have welcomed the initiative as it complements academic learning while exposing students to opportunities within the sports sector.
He said the competition has also sparked greater interest among young people in sports governance, advocacy, and leadership, aligning with LNOC’s broader mission of using sport as a tool for education and social development.
Hermitage High School’s journey to the national stage began before the Easter holidays during regional competitions held in Quthing, where schools from Qacha’s Nek, Quthing, Mohale’s Hoek, and Mafeteng participated, and the school emerged in position one. Following that success, they proceeded to Maseru to compete against winners from the northern and central regions.
In the debate category, Hermitage competed against Mapetla High School and finished in third position. The school was represented by three learners in total, who also took part in public speaking, where the remaining placements were third and fifth positions respectively.
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