By MICHAEL MIYOBA
OYDC Chief Executive Officer Fredrick Chitangala has called on government and the business sector to work with the centre to help repair some of the sports infrastructure that are worn out.
In an interview, Chitangala said OYDC cannot afford to renovate the worn out facilities with its annual budget because facilities such as the running track, the football pitch and the outside courts are very expensive to maintain.
Chitangala said the facilities have lived past their five-year life span having been constructed in 2011.
He disclosed that the OYDC swimming pool needs the heating system to be redone.
“There has been plans from 2018 to renovate the running truck, the outdoor courts it is not cheap and OYDC cannot do this on its own budget. It is impossible.
“So we need partners, we need the government, the corporate world, international sports federations like the world athletics, through Zambia Athletics, because we cannot do it alone as OYDC to finance this. We can go to the World Handball to donate some money to contribute to the redoing of the outdoor courts because this is not something we can do on our own,” Chitangala said.
Meanwhile, Chitangala said the centre would in two weeks host all sports federations and other stake holders for a strategic meeting to review the strategic plan launched in 2018 when he was named CEO.
Chitangala who described 2021 as a success said the financial woes of 2018 when he took over and the Covid-19 pandemic have had a negative impact in implementing the contents in the three-year strategic plan.
