By Oliver Chisenga
SPORTS minister Hon. Elvis Nkandu, MP says Zambia is obligated as a member of the regional family to continue providing support towards the success and development of its people using numerous approaches which include sport.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 board of advisors meeting at Mulungushi International Conference Centre, Nkandu said Zambia continues to be a very active member of the region.
“I wish to express my immense gratitude for being part of the opening ceremony of the meeting of AUSC Region 5 Board of Advisors which is taking place in our beautiful city of Lusaka. On behalf of the people of Lusaka and indeed our beloved country Zambia, we welcome you all as our most valued and treasured guests. I would like to congratulate Region 5 and the government of the Republic of Zambia for successfully organising this meeting and all stakeholders that have presided over it in the last few days. We are always honoured as Zambia to host such events which bear testimony to our unwavering support and loyalty to the region. We remain resolute in support of our collective agenda and effort in promoting sustainable development for our citizens,” Nkandu said.
He said Zambia is proud to have hosted in the recent past events such as the Region 5 strategic plan review forum and the inaugural regional Walk For Life held in Livingstone last September.
Nkandu noted that this year, Zambia is privileged to host the Regional Annual Sports Awards (RASA).
He said what makes this year’s RASA unique is that it serves as a launchpad of the region’s silver jubilee commemorations which will be crowned by the inaugural silver jubilee awards.
Further, Nkandu said the region’s silver jubilee coincides with Zambia’s commemoration of 100 years after the birth of its founding father and liberation hero, the late president Dr Kenneth Kaunda.
“Additionally, all these historic events are being hosted when Zambia is celebrating her sixtieth independence dubbed as ‘zambia@60′,” he said.
Nkandu said Zambia remains determined to comply with the Region 5 protocols and guidelines in the implementation of regional programmes and activities.
He said Zambia has derived immense value from Region 5 initiatives such as the Podium Performance Programme (PPP) and Women Leadership Programme (WLP) among others.
Nkandu further said under the New Dawn government, Zambian sport has developed and improved tremendously and this could be seen by how the country’s sportsmen and sportswomen teams have excelled during regional, continental and international tournaments such as the All-African Games, World Cup, Olympics and other championships.
“Additionally, Zambia is proud to have attained pay parity in sport where female and male athletes are now remunerated equally without segregation. Allow me to mention that all these milestone achievements cannot be attributed to Zambia alone but to the programmes that have been spearheaded by AUSC Region 5,” he said.
Nkandu added that as a leader in the implementation of sports programmes within the AU and the African Union Sports Council framework and regional context, the government is pleased to note that AUSC Region 5 continues to contribute towards attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Agenda 2063 aspirations in “building the Africa we want” through sport.
He wished the visitors a refreshing and enjoyable stay in Lusaka and to take away lasting memories as they return to their respective countries.
The Mole
