The Teulings Foundation in Belgium has extended financial support to OYDC Zambia to continue running youthful league games for the sports disciplines it sponsors.
Making the announcement Teulings Foundation representative Hans Bertels representing Coen Teulings Chairman of Merifin Capital disclosed that funds for the year 2022 have been secured adding that OYDC and Teulings Foundation are working on a plan on how the sponsorship will be for the next two years to lead to Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
’For Teulings, the decision was already taken that the contribution for this year has been guaranteed. We are now working on a plan with the Centre for the next coming two years until Paris 2024 Olympic Games and I am positive and hope we can come to an agreement and also conclude on the financing’ he said.
He added that the amount funded will remain at USD$100,000 per year and that the Teulings Foundation is motivated with the way the games engaging young athletes below the age of 17 years have been organised at the centre since 2011.
And Bertels nodded the efforts the Zambian government is making to promote elite sport through the Podium Performance Programme (PPP) of which some well-known top athletes were picked from the Teulings Youth Sports Challenge run at OYDC.
Meanwhile OYDC Zambia Chief Executive Officer Dr Fredrick Chitangala says the Teulings Youth Sports Challenge has produced some top athletes bound for the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Dr Chitangala says he is hopeful that after the Commonwealth Games a visit to Coen Teulings in Belgium will be made to show and appreciate him on how the talented athletes have been doing for the past years he has rendered to the OYDC.
He says the extension of the sponsorship of the Teulings Youth Sports Challenge will see management continue investing in young players and ensure that Paris 2024 Olympic Games has a huge representation of athletes who graduated from the OYDC’s organised youth leagues.
‘We aim at looking at the impact of the Teulings Youth Sports Challenge and see where we are going. We are looking at Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and what happens beyond long term plan. When you are receiving donor funds you want to see that the resources are being put to good use this is why the visitor Mr Hans Bertels had a chat with the beneficiaries who expressed their gratitude to him for this support. We hope after the Birmingham Commonwealth Games we can pass through Belgium and meet Mr Coen Teulings to assure him that his sponsorship is not in vain at the Centre but yielding the intended results’ he said.
While at the Centre, Hans Bertels joined Dr Chitangala in planting a tree as a way of preserving the environment and further went to tour some sports activities in football, judo, handball and netball which were organised.
And National Olympic Committee of Zambia (NOCZ) Athletes Commission Chairperson Richard Mulenga extended the appreciation of athletes part of the Teulings Youth Sports Challenge to Hans Bertels. He said the immense support is worth emulating by others.
Source: OYDC Zambia
