By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
GOVERNMENT has praised the four athletes who recently won medals at international competitions, saying their personal hard work and effort had brought pride to Zambia.
Sports Permanent Secretary Agnes Musunga has also said Government will soon release a sports policy which had graduated rewarding system for sportspersons who bring honour to Zambia.
Sports Minister Chishimba Kambwili said yesterday that Government was pleased with the performance of the athletes who brought honour from the Commonwealth Games in Scotland and the recently held Nanjing World Youth Olympics in China.
He also made special mention of Kabange Mupopo, the African 400metre champion, who is also Shepolopolo captain.
Speaking from his office at Government Complex in Lusaka yesterday, Kambwili said the gold medal Sydney Siame had won in the 100metres race at the Youth Olympics in China was a momentous achievement.
“As Government, we wish to acknowledge that the Commonwealth Games and the world Youth Olympics were highly competitive games such that getting a medal is regarded as a big achievement.
“So, what you have done is no mean achievement and I say congratulations, well done and we are so, so proud of you,” he said.
At the recent Nanjing Youth Olympics, 16-year-old 100m specialist Siame stunned the world by winning a gold medal and later added a silver when he was selected into Africa’s team for the inter-continental 8X100metre relay.
At the Commonwealth Games, middleweight boxer Ben Muziyo and judoka Boas Munyonga mint a bronze medal each, while Mupopo won a gold medal at the Africa athletics championships in the 400metre flat race.
The minister said he wanted a system of honouring athletes who brought honour to the country and said his ministry worked outside its budget to reward athletes from the Zone-Six games in 2012.
Zambia Amateur Athletics Association (ZAAA) president Elias Mpondela said his association was working on a team for the 2016 Olympics and said runners were heading the right direction with another team shaping up for 2020 Olympics in Japan.
Mupopo has also been picked into the Africa team at the inter-continental athletics competition and will be accompanied by Saviour Kombe another short distance runner who was selected.
National boxing coach Kennedy Kanyanta said his boxer brought a bronze medal but promised to do even better at future competitions, especially if the boxers were given proper motivation and preparations.