By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
WITH just a day before the African States Bowling Tournament in Lusaka, the Zambia Bowling Association (ZBA) is still sweating over a K210,000 budget deficit towards hosting the continental competition.
Meanwhile, Namibia and South Africa have already arrived for the tournament which gets underway tomorrow at the Lusaka Club and Central Sports Complex.
As a way of helping the bowlers meet their more than K500,000 budget, Sports Minister Vincent Mwale has sent a passionate appeal to the corporate world, asking them to help ZBA stage the  seven-nation tournament.
Mwale made an appeal yesterday after visiting the Zambian team in training at the Lusaka Club where he urged them to win medals and promised them of Government’s support.
“I just passed through to see you in training and to also just assure you that Government supports you and will be with you all the way. We are also aware of the financial difficulties you have in trying to make this tournament happen.
“We are trying all we can to make sure that this happens. We are talking to various corporate entities like Trade King and the kind to see if they can help. We are not resting but we do recognise your efforts to make this work and you have done well so far,” he said.
The participating countries are Botswana, South Africa, Malawi, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Zambia.
Mwale urged the players to give their all and make sure the African title remained in Zambia so they keep up with high billing where the Zambian women team are the China Open champions.
“I have heard of the honours you have brought to Zambia and since we are hosting this wonderful tournament, it’s time to show Zambia how good you are and attract more people and sponsors to the sport,” he said.
ZBA president Chali Chilombo said the Zambian team was ready for the tournament and the players were just fine-tuning for the competition.
Chilombo said that the 10 players had trained hard and were eager to fly high the Zambian flag.
Meanwhile, Namibia, who were the first to arrive, have predicted a tough tournament going by the development of the game on the continent over the last decade.
Namibia coach Sandy Joubelt opted to keep his team’s expectations low, saying he had brought some new players to the national team.
Joubelt, who featured in this international tournament at Lusaka Club 20 years ago, said that all he wanted to see was his side end in the top half of the log at the end of the five-day tournament.