By GWEN CHIPASULA –

THE Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has for the second year running claimed naming rights for the Zambia Amateur Athletics Association’s (ZAAA) annual flagship, the Inter Company Relay (ICR).
RTSA has this time injected K80, 000 to become title sponsors for the 2015 ICR which attract about 600 participants next month in Lusaka.
The June 20 scheduled event will be held at the Lusaka Show Grounds with the theme ‘Run and Walk for your Health towards Peace and Unity’.
ZAAA has given RTSA the naming rights for the five kilometre health walk.
The association is targeting to raise more than K1 million from the annual event.
ZAAA president, Elias Mpondela said so far 40 companies had confirmed participation and each firm was expected to contribute something to help meet the K1.8 million budget.
“Over 40 companies confirmed participation and each have to contribute something like RTSA has done and others have just not officially communicated so we are confident they will,” Mpondela said.
The participants will have to join other individuals and companies in the 10.4km relay race and the 10.4km individual race.
Other competitions will be the 100 metres chief executive race and the paralympics among others.
The ICR was initiated in 1999 by ZAAA, to raise funds to develop and promote athletics in the country, through its talent identification programme, while promoting an integrated approach to health response and wellness.
Last year’s event attracted more than 1,500 participants, 1,000 spectators within the grounds and ZAAA this year is confident to having over 2,000 participants.