OYDC Zambia – Sports Development Centre has announced heightened measures to help reduce any possible spread of the Covid-19 during the 11th Edition of the Teulings Youth Sports Challenge “grand finale” set for December 4.
The grand finale which marks the closure of the youthful sporting season for athletes below the age of seventeen at the Centre will see team representatives only from the eleven sports disciplines coming to collect awards for outstanding players for the year 2021. Others to receive awards will be the media who submitted their works on OYDC/Teulings.
The finale is usually graced by the Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts and witnessed by the National Olympic Committee of Zambia (NOCZ) president, NOCZ Secretary-General, OYDC Board of Trustees Chairperson and members, National Sports Federations (NFs) General Secretaries, School Heads, among others.
OYDC Chief Executive Officer Dr Fredrick Chitangala says “Following the new measures outlined by the Minister of Health Hon. Sylvia Masebo on the Covid-19 situation in the Country. We felt as management we should impose some restrictions on the Teulings Youth Sports Challenge grand finale we will be hosting this Saturday, this is why we have reduced the number of those who will attend the event and the final games will not be played on Saturday as per tradition but Friday. Furthermore, we wish to appeal to the invited persons coming to pick up awards for the youths to stick to all health guidelines by masking up, maintaining social distance and most importantly make use of our washing basins. For those who are not vaccinated be reminded that OYDC has a vaccination centre set up by the Ministry of Health. Please make use of it and help our Government fight this pandemic”.
The Teulings/OYDC Youth Sports Challenge has eleven sports disciplines; boxing, teqball, handball, netball, beach volleyball, hockey, taekwondo, judo, football, rugby, and basketball. The youthful competition engaging young talented athletes below the age of 17 years has been running at the OYDC since 2011 and is supported by Coen Teulings Chairman of the Merifin Capital in Belgium.
This is according to a statement issued to the media by OYDC Zambia communications officer Noah Silomba.