BY GRACE CHAILE –

ZAMBIA hockey team coach Thomas Mumba has summoned six players into the boys and girls national team currently in camp preparing for the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games.
Mumba said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that three boys and three girls have been drafted into the teams ahead of the Games slated for August 16 to 23 in China.
He said the players were called in as reinforcement and to bring about competition in the team especially that the 13 players will have to compete for the nine available slots.
Those called for the boy’s team are Moses Mwale, Isaac Mwale and Conrad Fisonga, while Brenda Kalunga, Anna Mvula and Janet Chisala have joined the girls team.
“We have called in three new players to each team to strength the level of competition during preparations for the Youth Games. Thirteen players will now have to compete for only nine places,” he said.
Mumba expressed happiness with the performance of the team that began training on Thursday last week before entering residential camp on May 1 at Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) in Lusaka.
Zambia qualified to the Youth Olympics last month after finishing second behind South Africa during the Hockey Five’s Africa Youth Olympics qualifiers held at OYDC.
The boy’s provisional team has Samuel Tagwireyi, Shadrick Katele, Victor Mwansa, Samson Tembo, Bikilon Kumwenda, Blessings Lowole, Richard Lungu, Alfred Mphande, Brighton Siwale, Gift Bwalya, Moses Mwale, Isaac Mwale and Conrad Fisnga.
Eniless Mambwe leads the girls team that has Esther Mwale, Grace Banda, Margret Munthali, Comfort Phiri, Catherine Kalomo, Loveness Mudenda, Tionge Mwale, Martha Nankala, Carol Nankombe, Brenda Kalunga, Anna Mvula and Janet Chisala.