By SANDRA MWILA –
ZAMBIA has been bestowed with the Chairman’s Special Award in recognition of the country’s leadership role in executing sport and recreation development programmes.
The award was presented during the inaugural Regional Annual Sports Awards (RASA) held at a colourfulceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday night and was organised under the auspices of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region Five.
Zambia’s acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Philomena Kachesa, who received the award, described the accolade as encouraging.
Kachesa said the accolade serves to show that the efforts that the Government was making in promoting sports in the country were being noticed and recognised by not only Zambians but the international community as well.
She cited the construction of sports infrastructure such as stadia and sports development centres around the country as some of the areas in which the Government had been resolved and ensured that substantial amounts of financial investment were made in order to help develop sport across the country.
The award which was presented by Angola’s Minister of Youth and Sport, Goncalves Muandumba, isbestowed on a country that has taken a leadership role in the implementation of the AUSC Region Five programmes and has excellently executed sport and recreation development programmes.
Deserving countries are also expected to have produced athletes and teams that have excelled in bringing home medals from international championships and events.
The AUSC comprises Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
This is according to a statement released press secretary at the Zambian High Commission in South Africa Nicky Shaboly.