By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –

THE African Karate Federation (AKF) has said Zambia lacks proper administrators and technical officials in karate.
Africa Zone Six karate Federation president Million Masambika said that there was a gap in administrative skills as well as technical know-how in the sport and there was need to start closing the gap.
Masambika said there were few trained karate coaches in Zambia and that there was need for the country to start having locals taking World Karate Federation (WKF) courses.
“Administratively, Zambia needs to improve.
“That is the same for coaches and referees.
“Zambia will need to have trained coaches so that can move with the trends that are happening in the world.
“There are few trained coaches in Zambia,” he said in an interview.
Zambia recently hosted a shambolic Zone Six karate championship whose official results have still not been released to the media.
Masambika said investment in training for administrators, coaches and referees was paramount and that the WKF had sent an expert to assess the situation.
A level-one coaching course will soon take place in South Africa.
He said a few coaches had just attained level-one qualification but that there was need for several Zambians to attended advanced programmes like the level-two and three courses, respectively.
Masambika said the Zone Six region should take advantage of its affiliation to the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) and apply for such high-level courses which will improve the development of karate in Zambia.
On the overall, he said the Southern African region was making strides in the improvement of the sport as evidenced by several medals won during the Africa Youth Games held in Botswana in May this year.