Sponsor Athletics like Football, Douglas Kalembo prods business society
Zambia Athletics ZA Team Zambia lasses with National Coach Douglas Kalembo and Mpondela
By Ashton Kelly Bunda
National team athletics coach Douglas Kalembo has bemoaned luck of sponsorship in the athletics fraternity in Zambia resulting in generation gaps as successors to break best records left behind as they bring glory to Zambia and putting the nation on the world map.
Speaking during Zambia Athletic Association All-Comers Meet that brings together athletes to prepare upcoming annual events Kalembo said in a measure an individual event ,but competitors they form a team at the end of the day, as they train and travel for competitions in groups to represent Zambia .
He said the federation must go flat out to work round the clock with established business entities like telecommunications companies Airtel, MTN or Zamtel to sponsor athletics and help make the sport a house hold name like soccer.
“Efforts are being made by the government to sponsor us athletics ,but it’s not enough to inspire athletes ,I don’t say we are neglected ,but we need more affection and care like our friends in the football fraternity,’,Kalembo, a close associate to Zambia Athletic Association (ZAA) led by Elias Ng’andu Mpondela complained.
Flanked by 1996 Tokyo Japan 400 hundred meters hurdles gold medal winner, Samuel Matete, Coach Kalembo said athletics , track and field events is the next big thing coming to Zambia as his organization will spread its tentacles to the rest of the ten provinces to tap talent in effort to increase the number competitors among children and youths.
