By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE – 

FORMER world 400 metres hurdles champion, Samuel Matete has hailed African women 400 metres champion, Kabange Mupopo for her performance at the ongoing Glasgow Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

Mupopo, who was impressive in the preliminary round of the 400 metres race, succumbed to elimination after finishing sixth in the semi-finals.

But Matete said in an interview yesterday that Mupopo put up an outstanding performance despite competing in the ‘Club’ Games for the first time.

He said the African champion had immense talent that needed to be properly nurtured for future prospects.

“I would like to commend Kabange for her wonderful performance. She is a very talented runner but I think talent alone is not enough. We need some form of skill to be imparted in the athletes but I think Kabange did the best she could,” he said.

Meanwhile, Matete described the performance of other athletes so far as poor.

Sprinter Titus Kafunda and Savior Kombe were eliminated in the 200 metres and 400 metres, respectively.

Matete said Zambian athletes had been eluded of medals on the global stage because there had been no significant improvements on their performance.

He said there was need for increased investment in the athletics infrastructure and administration.

“It’s unfortunate that we are still singing the song of not winning medals, the performance in Glasgow has been pathetic. The athletes have failed to rise to the occasion and I think this is partly because we don’t seem to improve regarding nurturing the talent that we have.

“Our athletes must also not aim at breaking records but winning medals instead and that is what let them down when they fail to beat records,” he said.

Zambia will now be banking on Prince Mumba, Evans Chimponde, Emmanuel Mwelwa and Cephas Nyimbiri to deliver a positive finish when they take to the tracks in the 4×400 metres men’s relay.