By SAMUEL LUKHANDA –
TWO more Zambian volleyball clubs yesterday left to join Chalube for the 2018 CAVB Zone-Six Club Championships in the coastal city of Durban in South Africa.
Nkwazi and Super Select left by road early yesterday morning to bring the number of Zambian clubs at the regional tournament to three after Chalube got a head-start arriving in Durban on Monday around 17:30 hours.
Earlier, it was announced BY Zambia Volleyball Association (ZAVA) that only Chalube and Select will fly the Zambian flag at the championship but Nkwazi have been a surprise entrant who have flown under the radar.
And Chalube coach John Mapulanga was delighted with the news that Nkwazi and Select were on the way to Durban saying it will help to have more Zambian teams at the tournament.
“We are happy that Nkwazi and Super Select are on their way to join us here which will be a boost as Zambians. We are ready for the competition and waiting for Saturday for the tournament to commence. Otherwise we read,” said Mapulanga.
The team spent Tuesday afternoon soaking the Durban sun on the beach as they try to shake off the traveling fatigue from two days of bus ride. It remains to be seen how the other two will deal the theirs.
Nkwazi had a decent outing two years ago in Namibia but were disappointing in Bulawayo last year and had an indifferent season here at home but will draw believe from the experience their players and coach poses.
They will have to make do without Francis Munene for this championship and will look to Abraham Tembo to fill the void.
The only female team is Select have put in the necessary preparations and will be hoping to go further than the quarter finals they reached last year.
Coach Chitambo Nyanga has a young core of the team and will be counting on the exuberance of youth to carry them through but will lean on the experience of Isabel Mudenda, Chilombo Kaumba, Annie Kalaba and Tania Tembo.