Samuel Matete has said he is looking forward to the challenge of helping discover the next 400 meters hurdle prospects from Zambia.
The 1996 Olympic Games 400 hurdles meters silver medalists has been invited by the management of the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) in Lusaka to offer technical help for the recently launched junior track and field academy at the facility.
Matete said he was excited about working with junior prospects during his brief visit back to Zambia while on break from Mauritius where he works as a coach at the IAAF Centre.
“We have never done this in Zambia. It will be the first time the kids will be interacting with the hurdles and that’s the part am really excited to see and what their reaction will be,” Matete said at a media briefing at the OYDC on Thursday.
Matete said the program wasn’t for instant results but to stimulate junior track prospects to hurdles now that Zambia had a world class facility for the event.
The OYDC has a world class eight-lane synthetic track, the first of its kind in Zambia.
“Then we will see their interest that will be developed over time,” Matete said.
“We are still a long way from that but the great part of all this it is the beginning. You know kids grasp things easily you never know what happens after that.”
He said the junior prospects will not run the 400 hurdles but start with the 300 hurdles because of the physical demands on athletes in the former.
Matete said he will also be taking the junior academy camp of athletes aged between 7 and 15 through the paces in 100, 200, 300 and 800 meter races.
However, the 3000 meters and 400X 4 relays including the hummer will be overlooked also because the juniors have not yet physically developed for the rigors of those disciplines.
And OYDC director Clement Chileshe said they were delighted to have Matate, who is also the centers’ ambassador, to help with his expertise at their junior academy.
Chileshe said the objective of the academy was to expose the juniors to training under professional guidance and the best competition opportunities at an early age.
He said the periodic training camps will also be graced by USA-based former runner Alick Musukuma.
Matete you should also go to Mukuba andencourage the students to train hard the way it was during the times of Mr Shabangana and Mr Misheck Mwale, among the people that encouraged you when you in form one.
isnt the medal this matete guy won been the ONLY medal EVER won by zambia? shame!
Unfortunately in Zambia, sports also ends at grade 12. after that, it “each one for himself and God for us all” I remember during my high school days at DK, most students were really talented in sport. Sad it all ended right there as soon as one left Hodgson hostel.
Matete has not been given the respect that he deserve this guy won the world 400m Hurdles champonship with no member of the government to support him but in Zambia you treat people who even failed to come back with their wivies as heros shame.
#4 LONDON YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR FACTS RIGHT . MATETE WAS HONOURED BY THE GOVERNMENT TOGETHER WITH KALUSHA AND LOTTIE. MAYBE YOU MISSED THAT, AND THE REASON HE IS BIENG CALLED TO HELP IN GROOMING YOUNG TALENT IS BECAUSE OF THE RECOGNITION OF HIS MASSIVE TALENT AND EXPERIENCE. MIND YOU ITS NOT FOR FREE.
matete is like the god of sports in zambia! useless zambians. what have you avhieved bane? im glad i m no longer zambian bane. saved from embarrasment. mwalishishita bane.
ndalya live says:
you are just another stupid fool who has decided that you no longer need Zambian citizenship. Who are you to judge us based on the sports medals Zambia has gotten. Shut up and stop commenting on the affairs of you former country. Honestly, you lack identity and you shall never have one even in death
#7 Freeman on earth: Leave ndalya live alone! Zambians only support thieves who steal from them! Look at FTJ, Chiluba, Chinaman etc and you love them. I am not gonna be Zambian as that country and its people are amafi! Matete is king of sport and could be the sports minister! He lifted that ugly Zambian Flag when he won the world championship with proud! In my case, i ve tried in vain to come to Zambia and help them but to no avail. South Africa and Namibia have come calling and will take one on! So mulekefye “ndalya live” kanshi alelanda ifishinka. Iwe “Freeman on earth” uli chiwelele kwati ni chi Banda naka kafupi!
Nalilya_ka_Agelina says:
sometimes its better to respect fools than to argue with them. Did you actually realise that he is not praising Matete but making fool of us Zambians or maybe icisungu nachishupa? Read and comment with full understanding of the issue. The mere fact that you have misplaced priorities even yourself does not make you a demi God. Being outside Zambia is not an issue but how you manage your life is. You are another human shit in the foreign land. We dont need you coz you cant adapt to the environment. We shall run our country alone without you failures mambala. We have level headed and succesful Zambians who are seeing value and hope in our country. Why do you want to paint a picture that all is lost in Zambia when you are not even here? You just depend on heresays?
Ukutumpa # 6 and 8. The language you are using is it from those countries or Zambian? Amafuus.
#9 and #10: I thing imwe muli banamasai uko kwine muli. Zambian is NOT going anywhere because of fools like you in Diaspora! All these John Foreigners coming in and ba.to.mba na Zedee in you eyes and you agree. OK Matete is great, but Zambia in general is just a lost cause. Can you explain to me how malawi has a better economy than you fcuk Zedee? Wake and smell the coffee. Condemn you country and see what you can change after that! IT is all fcuk.ed up!!!!!
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