By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –

MWAMONA Engineering and Technical Services yesterday pledged to give the Zambia netball team K12,000 for qualifying for the Sydney 2015 World Cup.
Company proprietor Chishimba Kambwili, who is also Sports Minister, said he had decided to reward the netball team with money from his own company because he realised how big the achievement of qualifying for World Cup was.
Kambwili said that he also realised that the Netball Association of Zambia (NAZ) was not an affluent association.
Speaking when he welcomed the victorious team at his office yesterday, Kambwili also called on the private sector to come on board and aid the netball team with preparations as well as rewarding them for its qualification.
“I will give a thousand kwacha to each player and I expect you sponsors here to come and announce your pledges next week when I will be giving away that money,” he said.
Zambia last month qualified to the World Netball Championship after finishing second at the African Championship held in Zimbabwe. Zambia last participated at such a competition in 1999 in New Zealand.
Kambwili warned the netball team that the World Cup was highly competitive and that the team would have to step up to perform well at the tournament.
“This is my K12,000 that I am giving you, make sure you win the World Cup,” he said
He said it was Government’s wish to ensure that netball got back to be the most popular sport among Zambian youths, adding tha the World Cup qualification was good in getting the drive back into the game.