Zambia’s most successful sports man Samuel Matate has been appointed coach for the Zambia national athletics team.
Zambia Amateur Athletics Association president Elias Mpondela said at a briefing in Lusaka on Thursday that the association was excited to be working with the former 400 meters hurdles World champion.
“We want him to focus on hurdles that he is an expert in and also in sprints,” Mpondela said.
“So he is going to be the national coach of the Zambia Amateur Athletics Association.
“And together with him, we believe we will begin to do great things for our country in athletics development and promotion.”
Matete won a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships and was twice silver medalist at the same event.
He was three-time World Cup winner and won gold at the 1994 Commonwealth Games.
Matate later won a silver medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta in what still is Zambia’s last medal at the World biggest showpiece event.
Ba LT do you check your spellings or edit before publishing? It is Matete not Matate yaba. Twanaka nenu mwe.
Sorry Guys I don’t know how this works but does an Athletics team have one coach? Doesn’t each discipline (Short distances, Middle distances, long distances, Field eventsetc) have their own coaches? Fill me up someone
You are partially correct ,Athletes do have their own coaches but there will be the overall coach to oversee the training of the athletes
@ Chita Pa Kwa.. No you need only 1 coach in Zambia. You even know that when someone say “am not good in athletics”, means not good in running.
Retired American Olympic & World sprinter Michael Johnson does coach most track disciplines though for hurdles you need a specialists.
So finally Matete can get along na Mpondela ka?
Good move, what have they been waiting for
Why has it taken so long.Good move finally!
But why take so long and seems never to replace that Mpondela?
Elias Mpondela has been president of ZAAA for eternity….one positive from this appointment though is that Matete who was highly critical of ZAAA for not doing enough to identify talent has been offered this position…this just goes to show that if someone offers constructive criticism it does not mean that you close the door on them. I hope Football House is watching.
Matete never won Gold at the olympics, it was a Bronze!
No one said he won gold. At least we finally have a coach with a respectable CV. If he fails, he would not claim that he wasn’t given a chance.
I know this guy. Watched him at the All Africa games in Nairobi in 1987 as a fellow athlete. Very humble and very disciplined. Never grew small horns on his fore head when he was a World celebrated athlete. Much of a forte for our footballers here. A little win makes them so puffed up so much that they change their accents and the color of their skins become yellow like Congolese. I think Mpondela must go. Zambia has failed to ‘own’ even a single marathon since 1964 other than an annual mediocre fun race by obese company executives, that Elias and his Muchinga dominated Board reap bountifully from
Finally!Matete takes over the coaching.Please tap talent from rural areas.
It is time Mpondela left this position at ZAAA.
Is this a life time position?
How many honours has ZAAA brought to Zambia since Mpondela took over?
This is a money thirsty guy who only focusses where sponsorship money goes-Inter Company relays.
This is the same guy who was eating at NHA and forgetting about the workers!!
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