By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –

GOVERNMENT is disappointed with the performance of local athletes at the just-ended 2015 All-Africa Games (AAG) in Congo Brazzaville, where Zambia only reaped two medals.
Zambia sent 58 athletes to the 11th AAG which ended last weekend but only managed two medals – a gold from 400 metres female runner, Kabange Mupopo and boxing bronze by Ben Muziyo.
Sports Minister, Vincent Mwale said Government was disappointed with the performance of the Zambian athletes because it expected more than the two medals.
“Overall, we are disappointed with the performance of Zambia at the All Africa Games. Two medals mean that results were not good though we keep saying that it’s better we did not come back empty handed.
“Congratulation to the two athletes who won medals and especially to Kabange Mupopo who won us a gold medal. We have not had a gold medal at the AAG since 2007 and we hope you win us more medals,” Mwale said.
The minister was speaking when he received the AAG medals and another bronze won by boxer Emmanuel Ngoma at the Samoa 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Lusaka yesterday.
Boxer Hastings Bwalya was the last Zambian to win a gold medal at the 2007 AAG in Algeria.
Mwale said he expected more medals especially from the judokas who had promised to bring silverware from Brazzaville.
He noted that there was need to take urgent and drastic remedial measures to improve Zambia’s performance at the international stage.
The minister called for the investment in coaching an aspect he said could help in improving results.
Mwale said coaches with high level coaching skills and technical know-how were key in uplifting the standards of Zambian sport.
He said coaching was an integral part of sports development and that the lack of skilled trainers was costing the nation greatly at such high level international competitions like AAG.
Mwale called for revamping of the talent identification programme by all sports bodies and directed the Sports Council of Zambia (SCZ) to actively be involved in attracting potential athletes from all corners of the nation unlike just concentrating on Lusaka and Copperbelt.
“We can not have sports development in just Lusaka and the Copperbelt. We need to revamp the talent identification programme so we get more athletes from the rural areas,” he said.
The minister also bemoaned the low levels of sponsorship from the private sector into sports, saying this had reduced the levels of competitiveness and motivation from athletes.
To improve incentives and motivation, Mwale said Government was thinking of introducing a sports tax or sports lottery to raise funds for sports programmes.
Gender Minister Nkandu Luo also congratulated Mupopo for winning a gold medal, saying her ministry was interested in women who were thriving in their respective fields and urged the multi-talented athlete to do more for Zambia.
Professor Luo said it was exciting to note that the only gold medal won at the AAG was achieved by a woman.
She said this was a further indication that women were capable of conquering even in fields previously dominated by men.
“People who have achieved things in life have not done that by accident, but by focus and hard work,” Luo said.