Compete in supported competitions – Sports Associations urged

The National Sports Council of Zambia (NSCZ) has advised sports associations in the country to concentrate on competing in supported competitions such as the Commonwealth games, Olympics and All Africa games if they are to end their perennial cry for government sponsorship.

Sports Council of Zambia Secretary General Raphael Mulenga said sports federations should not rush to participate in international sporting competitions simply because their respective international Federations have organized them.

Mulenga said participating in supported competitions will enable sports federations benefit from government sponsorship because of the state’s involvement and participation in such tournaments.

“Our Sports federations should focus on the Olympics, commonwealth games, All Africa Regional games because government participates in these through sponsorship”,said Mulenga.

He challenged sports federations in the country to start preparing seriously for the commonwealth games, Olympics and African regional games slated for this year.

Many Sports federations in the country led by the Handball Federation of Zambia have cried out for lack of sponsorship accusing government of largely funding football in the country.

However, Mulenga sympathized with the sports federations stating that the grant his organization receives is not adequate to meet the ever increasing needs of over 40 associations in the country.

He said the sports mother body will this year in 2018 focus on building the capacity of sports federations to partner with the corporate world in sponsoring their various sporting disciplines.

Mulenga said its cardinal that sports federations of minor sports learn to market their associations to the corporate world by marketing products and services from the corporate world.

“Government coffers have competing needs, we need to look outside the box, look for alternatives such as the corporate world. We need to inculcate skills in sports federations of how to market themselves than just writing letters of request, “said Mulenga.

He said in countries where sports thrives, the corporate world has played a pivotal role in developing the sports sector and expressed optimism that the same can be achieved in Zambia.