By SANDRA  MWILA –
THE Sports Council of Zambia (SCZ) has urged associations to change their approach by desisting from bidding to host international tournaments if they don’t have the financial capacity.

. Kalenga

SCZ chairperson Mwamba Kalenga advised sports administrators against accepting rights to host tournaments when their associations were not financially stable to stage the events.
Kalenga said this during the SCZ annual general meeting held at the Government Complex in Lusaka at the weekend.
He said it was unfair for associations to put the SCZ under pressure to release money when the sports mother body was not informed earlier on plans to stage a particular event.
“If you don’t have the capacity to host an international tournament don’t accept rights to host, let other countries host. Pressuring the SCZ to give you money to host these tournaments even when you have not informed us in good time is unfair.
“Such kind of approach is ‘blackmail’, because then you start complaining that the SCZ has failed. No, the approach is wrong,” he said.
Kalenga, a good governance advocate, advised associations to inform the SCZ and the ministry in good time on plans to host tournaments to avoid crying foul.
“If you want to host a tournament then the Government should be aware and should commit so that you don’t cry foul,” he advised.
Kalenga also lashed out at some associations that did not seek clearance from the SCZ when going out of the country or when inviting others for tournaments.
“When going for tournaments outside the country or inviting other countries for tournaments please seek clearance. It is not right that you sneak out athletes or sneak in other athletes from other countries. What if something happens? You land the Government into problems,” he said.