By FELIX MALUNGA –

FIFTY-EIGHT athletes will lead Zambia’s quest for medals at the 11th All Africa Games (AAG) in Congo-Brazzaville in September with Government now searching for partners to help in camping the squad next month.
With 22 sporting disciplines to be competed for at the 2015 AAG, Zambia will only be represented in six events-athletics, judo, swimming, boxing, handball and paralympics.
From the 58, 10 will be judokas, 16 handballers (female), eight boxers, six swimmers, four paralympians and 14 runners, who will be hoping to increase on the 2011 AAG three medals won which included a silver and two bronze.
Zambia’s Chef De Mission, Thandeka Soko said the 58 athletes were part of the 80-member local delegation and Government wanted to give the squad a longest camping period before heading to the Pan African Games in Brazzaville.
Soko said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that Government had written to the business community for partnership to help in the camping of the athletes at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC).
She said the cost of camping the squad was huge, hence the need for the private sector to come on board and donate various food stuffs generously.
“We are going round for material support. Camping is worrying us because of the cost implication. We want the athletes to be together for a month. This will be the longest camping for our athletes and the cost for such an undertaking is huge. The private sector should help us with mealie meal and other food stuffs,” Soko said.
She charged that failure to camp the athletes could have some devastating effect in terms of performance at the Pan African Games.
Government intends to camp the athletes on August 1 at OYDC in Lusaka.
Sports Council of Zambia (SCZ) general secretary, Innocent Chalabesa said the national authority had been keeping a close eye on the progress of the AAG-bound athletes.
Chalabesa said the SCZ was so far impressed with the progress made by the athletes in their various disciplines through their participation in international events.
He said it was impressive to see the runners and swimmers improve on their times, giving the nation hope for medals.
The SCZ chief noted that despite boxing becoming more competitive, there was still hope for the Zambian pugilists to pick up medals in Congo.
Chalabesa said the sports motherbody was also happy with the preparations of the judokas for the Games.
He said Zambia’s emphasis was to take quality athletes to Congo who could bring honours, hence the need for them to undergo some rigorous training.
Chalabesa was also optimistic that the handballers and the paralympians would be battle ready for the challenge.
This year’s AAG edition, which marks the 50th anniversary of the Games, will open on September 4 at the New Kintele Stadium and close on September 19.