TODAY my attention will be in London where the world’s best athletes are competing in the 2017 IAAF world athletics championship and where two of the best three Zambian runners are taking part.
I know there are football matters to be spoken about like FAZ’s inertia to sort out cases at the Disciplinary and Appeals Committee as well as the disciplinary moves and rebuffs in the Chipolopolo camp.
But there has been just too much talk about this that it is becoming a boring daily topic.
Instead, I will want to look at prospects of Kabange Mupopo the female African champion in the 400m flat and Sydney Siame, the fast rising men 100m and 200m star runner who are in London for the World athletics championships.
Unfortunately, Zambian records holder in the 100m as well as 200m, Gerald Phiri will not be taking part after he hurt his ankle preparing for the games.
I can only wish the best for the two runners and while I know a medal at these games may be a far-fetched dream, reaching the finals and breaking their personal best times for both is the least they can do.
Today, Mupopo goes out onto the tracks in her 400m flat specialist race where she will be carrying the hopes of not just Zambia but the entire continent as she goes in as the African champion.
She has dominated the event on the content for two years now and with all attention now solely on athletics and not football anymore, it’s about time she started shedding off her personal best time.
When she was doubling as Shepolopolo captain and a runner, she was busy cutting off time form her personal best but she has not done so in the last two year when she has been solely dedicated to athletics.
This is the perfect opportunity to better her time to break the jinx.
For young Siame, the year which started great with a record shattering run in the 100m clocking 9.88 seconds got erased from the records after the IAAF placed doubts on the time.
This put him off the list for those going to the world championships but he fought his way to make it to the games in the 200m category where he clocked 20.36seconds two weeks, coming close to the national record of 20.29 held by Gerald Phiri.
All the best guys.
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I also read with interest that FAZ General Secretary Ponga Liwewe said the changing of the league timing is a possibility after the CAF made changes to its dates.
My view is that the Zambian weather does not support having the league run through the rainy season because of among other issues the pitches and the stadia do not support shelter for the fans.
The pitches would also get damaged when getting to be played on every weekend during the rainy season.
It is better to consult widely because already, Cameroun is about to take the CAF to Court of Arbitration because when they put in bid and won the right to host the 2019 Africa Cup, it was for 16 teams and not the 24 that the CAF decided on.
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