By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE  –

GLASGOW 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Boas Munyonga says it is devastating to miss the 2015 African Seniors Championships which acts as one of the qualifiers for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The Zambia Judo Association (ZJA) failed to send Munyonga and Mathews Punza for the competition that starts this Friday in Libreville after failing to secure K85, 000.
Munyonga and Punza are currently at Tashtent City Judo Centre in Uzbekistan where they are receiving high level training meant to prepare athletes for the Olympic Games qualifiers.
But Munyonga, who seemed ignorant about the development, said from Uzbekistan yesterday that he was gutted with the development especially that his ultimate goal was to qualify and represent the country at the Olympic Games.
“It is very sad if our trip has failed. Here (Uzbekistan) we were very prepared and just waiting for the association to send us air tickets to travel to Gabon,” Munyonga said.
Meanwhile, Munyonga said the high level training he and Punza were receiving in Uzbekistan has compelled him to start eyeing a coaching role to transfer the expertise to the upcoming stars.
Munyonga said he was pondering on hanging up the Jugo Gi (judo suit) after the Olympic Games for him to assume the coaching role.
“This (Olympic Games) is my last mission as a judoka, I have ambitions of becoming coach and looking at the high standard of judo here, I would want to share my experience with the young ones because we have learnt so much.
If more Judokas in Zambia have an opportunity to learn from such an environment, then the level of the sport will reach greater heights,” he said.
The training that was facilitated by the National Olympic Committee (NOC) ends in December.