All the Zambian swimmers Goveia Ralph and Alex Axiotis have not reaped any medal after they finished fifth and sixth in their respective categories.
Goveia Ralph was competing in the men’s 13-18 100 meters butterfly category while his counterpart Alex Axiotis raced in the men’s 200 meters individual medal category but all lost.
Swimming Junior National team coach Ian Stephenson was disappointed that all his swimmers have failed to reap any medal and attributed the poor performance to lack of exposure.
Stephenson explained that Zambia swimmers lack exposure compared to South Africans who dominated the competition.
He noted that Zambia has only nine swimming clubs with very few swimmers while South Africa has about 300 clubs competing at high levels.
Meanwhile, Zambian male boxers have started their campaign at the ongoing 2nd African Youth Games on a good note after two boxers stormed the quarter finals in the competition being held at Botho University in Gaborone, Botswana.
Alfred Muwowo outpunched Morocco’s Said Martaji on unanimous point decision in the light flyweight category, while his colleague Timothy Chiyesu overwhelmed Lesotho’s Moses Motopi with a technical knockout in the bantamweight category.
However, upcoming Zambian boxer Nkumbu Silungwe disappointed his colleagues when he failed to progress to the knock out stages after he lost to Morocco’s Walid El Kehal in the light weight category.
However, Junior National team Boxing Coach Maybin Gunduzani is confident that his boxers will reap medals at the tournament.
ZANIS sports reports from Gaborone in an interview today that Gunduzani was positive that his boxers are fit to win medals in the finals.
He observed that going by the preparations made the Zambian boxers are stands a better chance of winning in the quarters and reach the finals of the competition.
Gunduzani is happy that his two boxers have qualified but noted that the other boxer who lost could have qualified but was too confident and underrated his opponent as he was too powerful but ended up losing points.
I am the real nigger. Just look at my face. No one can see my facial features….all you see is a night dark blob on where the face was supposed to be.
Are you crazy or something? you seem to have an inferiority complex. Be black and proud my friend that’s the skin God gave you. LT the heading should have Zambian swimmers out swum and not your choic of words. Peace be unto you.
I don’t know where the writer for this story is but I watched Ralph Goveia mint a silver medal behind a South African swimmer. Commentator on SS9 even said Zambia has minted a rare medal in swimming in a continental competition. Please correct your story Mr Editor.