By GRACE CHAILE –

ZAMBIA’S last batch of athletes for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games left yesterday for Scotland to link up with their compatriots ahead of the start of the quadrennial multi-sports spectacle next week.
With other local athletes already in Europe for training camps, the bowlers, swimmers, squash and table tennis players left for Scotland via Kenya as Zambia begin the search for ‘Club’ Games medals which have eluded the nation since 2002.
Zambia will be represented by 43 athletes who will compete in eight of the 17 disciplines at the 20th Commonwealth Games.
Judokas, boxers and badminton players are already in Glasgow where they have been preparing for the games exclusively for Britain and its former colonies.
The runners have been shaping up for the Glasgow Games in Germany and also participated in some international events in Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Zambia Table Tennis Association (ZTTA) patron Haroon Ghumra said the three  Glasgow Games-bound players were in top form and ready to represent the nation well in Scotland.
Ghumra said Friday N’gandu, Simasiku Kalaluka and Noel Kasanda were a formidable and experienced team capable of delivering good results for Zambia.
He said the nation’s top seed N’gandu was an experienced senior player who represented Zambia last year at the World Championships in Germany.
“The team started training three months ago and went into residential at Lusaka’s Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) three weeks ago. They are equipped tactically and technically,” he said.
He said the robot machines donated by the Japanese embassy when Zambia hosted the Zone six have been of tremendous help to the players.
“The robot machines have greatly assisted the team in regard to speed and footwork. This kind of exposure to such equipment is vital looking at the event,” he said.
National coach Boyd Kabinda said the team was responding well to training and looking forward to the event.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games will run from July 23 to August 2 and Zambia will be hoping to add to the two gold medals picked by boxers Lottie Mwale and Kennedy Kanyanta.
Zambia’s last taste of success at the Commonwealth Games was in 2002 in Manchester, England where three medals were won by boxers who included Kanyanta.