By GWEN CHIPASULA –

THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) has hailed the impact the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) has made on the development of sports in Zambia.
IOC vice-president Yu Ziaqing, who recently toured the facility in Lusaka, said he was impressed with the high-level training programmes being implemented at OYDC.
Yu pledged the IOC’s continued support to the OYDC management in the development of athletes in the country.
“As IOC, we will continue supporting OYDC in sport development. We are happy to have partnered with Government and National Olympic Committee to construct this centre,” he said.
The veteran Chinese sports administrator singled out 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympics gold winner Sydney Siame as a success story of the OYDC initiative.
“It was very encouraging to see athletes from Zambia who used this facility qualify to the Youth Olympics and do very well. Sydney Siame got Zambia its first Gold medal at the junior Olympics in the 100m and to me, this means you have a good program and we expect even more for the years to come’’ he said.
Yu said China will offer more support to Zambia in sports owing to the cordial relations the two countries enjoy.
Meanwhile, 13-time badminton world champion Li Lingwei, who was part of the delegation, was amazed at the skill of the OYDC ace Mary Chilambe after watching her in training.
Li encouraged Chilambe who took up the sport at OYDC shortly after it was opened, to work hard and qualify for the next Youth Olympics.
“The children here are privileged of having this centre. I am impressed as I did not expect to find such a good young player. I would like to encourage other players to make full use of the facilities, we want to see more Zambian reaching the Olympics,” Li said.