Take athletes to rural areas, prods Samuel Matete
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Samuel Matete with Ashton Kelly Bunda at Allcomers Meet January 2022 Heroes Stadium in Lusaka
By Ashton Kelly Bunda
ONE of Africa’s Legendary Track and field star Samuel Matete says taking athletics to the rural areas will widen the horizon of athletes that will emulate his record and the generation gap as to who will represent mother Zambia on the world map again.
The 1996 Japan Olympics 400 meters hurdle gold medalist says the government through Youth, Sport and Child Development Ministry led by Elvis Nkandu should enhance the policy of setting up sports facilities in rural areas.
During an All-Comers Meet at Lusaka Heroes Stadium Matete says some schools are striving to set up grounds for junior track and field events to advance and bring back the good old days when schools were the firm foundation of athletics in Zambia way back in the 1960s, through to the 1980s.
The legendary athlete said the Zambia Athletic Association (ZAA) led by Elias Ng’andu Mpondela to work with primary and secondary schools so that track and field scouts in an to expose upcoming athletes.
“It looks like some schools managed to set up grounds for grassroots athletics in our communities so that the numbers of local quality competitors increase in Zambia so that there are formidable opponents against other provinces,” Matete stressed.
He said grass roots athletics in conjunction with talent scouts that train children will in turn help build capacity in grooming coaches who are sought after in the region and Africa as whole.
