ACCOMPLISHMENT for the Zambian judokas is not a new experience. Judo is best known for carrying the country’s flag into international championships and minting medals.

With the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in sight, the battle for qualifying slots is heating up.

It is much easier to get into international tournaments today, but there is much more travel, and one has to compete in lots of tournaments to book a place at the Olympics. However, it is never easy to qualify and never is it a mission impossible.

Last year saw Zambia earn two bronze medals at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in Scotland; one of the two winners was Judo maestro Boas Munyonga.

Munyonga will lead a four-member strong team that will begin the quest for the Olympic spots at the 2015 World Judo Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan this month together with Matthews Punza, Abigail Chindele and Michael Mwabi.

The Championships that will begin on August 24 to 30 will be part of the qualifiers for the Rio Olympic Games.

If I could pull the quartet aside for a moment and give them one strong lesson, I would tell them to stay focused.

It is always a good sign when a good result is viewed as a mediocre disappointment when one performance below their full potential because it helps them to raise their game next time.

One interesting thing about judo is that the sport teaches players respect… Respect for opponents, respect for rules and respect for themselves.

The Olympic stage is a different environment from any other tournament on account of high quality performers hence team Zambia has to stay focused on performance, not on their experience at the championships.

To maximise chances of breaking through to Rio next year, Zambia’s duo Munyonga and Punza have been receiving high level training at Tashkent City Judo Centre in Uzbekistan and they be will hoping utilise that experience to boost their Olympic spirit and ultimately qualify.

With this development at play, Zambians wouldn’t ask for more than having one or two Judokas qualifying for the Brazil Games even if the challenge is tough. They (judokas) have to be on top of things and rewrite the history books.

“Our target is to produce positive results and we hope get off on a high note and I am confident that with the experience of Munyonga and Punza, who have been doing well in Uzbekistan, the team will deliver,” Coach Moola Lipimile said.

Staying focused sounds simple enough, but it is something a lot of Zambian athletes struggle with.

Focus is one of the most important mental skills in sports and athletes, who have a hard time focusing, are easily distracted by doubts, negative thoughts, mistakes and other factors.

Every aspect of training is valuable, but athletes often focus on the parts they enjoy most. It is important for the judokas to participate in every part of the training sessions, from warm-ups to drills and finally sparring.

In principle, the way one practices is the same way they will perform. If a judoka’s application is sloppy in practice, expect the same results when grappling against a resisting opponent and therefore, one must learn to keep during the entire training sessions.

In this era of Facebook, Viber, Whatsapp and other forms of social media, judokas can easily stray into losing concentration during training and actual play.

A split second loss of concentration during a critical play can spell the difference between winning and losing. Some of the best athletes in the world regard focus as the single most important mental skill an athlete can possess.

Judokas must never stray from the student mind set, and this could help them stay on their path toward earning qualification.

Lipimile has declared his charges ready for showdown they will not disappoint the nation.

Besides the world championships, judokas are also eyeing medals at the Congo Brazzaville 2015 All Africa Games slated for September.

The world championships-bound quartet is also part of the All Africa Games judo team that has the likes of Adida Phiri, Edward Kamwandi, Victor Siamampya, Esther Sandu, Naomi Zungu, Lexina Siapeya, Mildred Nyondo and Lydia Zulu.

“So far so good, we are training very hard and I can assure the nation that we are aiming to get medals and the team will work extra hard to win,” Lipimile said.

To remain focused, judokas should avoid negative thoughts and feelings, as these are needless distractions which could rob them of limited resources. They should always stay positive and realise that mistakes are part of the game.

Coaches should make practices interesting by frequently varying the drills and routines in a realistic manner. This variety usually increases motivation which also leads to improved focus.

Yelling rarely helps focus, but doing things to naturally improve focus helps the team gain confidence and direct attention on the game.

Practice is the best time to work on focus and concentration. Judokas may need to modify your approach before they put it into action in a game because every athlete has the power to concentrate in their sport.

A big part of getting into the zone is learning how to ignore distractions and focus on the right things. One can apply focus skills to improve their confidence and composure.

Good luck to the team as they prepare for the two championships ahead.

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