BY RONALD CHAWE –
UPCOMING badminton star Kalombo Mulenga has been selected to representthe country at the 2017 Yonex India Junior Open badminton championship taking place later this month in Pune, India.
Badminton Zambia (BZ) Deputy General Secretary Juma Muwowosaid the event was an ideal platform for Mulenga to compete against the best andshowcase his skills and abilities.
The championship, which is slated from August 31 to September 3, isexpected to attract the best junior talent from around the world.
He said the championship was a grand prix event which attracts a lot of points hence the need for the player to take part in it as he endeavours to qualify for the youth Olympics.
Muwowo said Mulenga, who is ranked first in the continent and freshfrom winning the 2017 Chinese Ambassador’s tournament held in Lusakalast month, would use the outing to prepare for upcoming continentaljunior championship to be staged by Zambia.
“We have entered Kalombo for the Yonex India junior Open and we are intalks with some business houses to sponsor the Copperbelt Open and ajunior event,” he said.
Muwowo said his association was looking for K30, 000 to hold a juniorlocal event in November before it could be scouting for otherresources for junior international event to be hosted in early December.
And Muwowo, who is national badminton coach, have revealed that OgarSiamupangila, who be representing the country at the 2017 Total worldchampionship in Glasgow, Scotland in two weeks’ time, has intensive training for the championship.
Muwowo said the associations wanted to camp Siamupangila inScotland but that plans have fallen offas the association has no resources to finance the programme.
He said Siamupangila would continue working on her game behind thecurtains and making sure that lapses are dealt with before the event.