By MICHAEL MIYOBA
ZAMBIA Sports Fans Patron Peter Makembo has praised the national netball team for winning the 2023 Africa Netball Cup after beating Namibia in Wednesday’s final played at the UB Sports Arena in Botswana.
Makembo, who had led his brass band to welcome the team as it arrived from Botswana said the netball team made the country proud despite having faced numerous challenges which saw the men’s team failing to travel for the games due to lack of funding.
Makembo said the team’s success in Botswana would inspire the corporate world to invest in the development of netball knowing the potential the sport possesses.
“As fans we are very proud of the netball team because by winning this maiden Africa Cup trophy they have shown what they are made of, what we are made of as a country,” Makembo said.
“We hope that this achievement will inspire more investment in netball because it was sad to see the men’s team failing to travel for the games in Botswana due to lack of enough resources. Imagine if our men’s team had travelled, maybe we could have returned with another gold or even silver medal,” he said.
Makembo urged other sports codes to pick lessons from the Netball Zambia Executive committee led by president Martha Sichone for working hard to maintain Zambia’s status as a netballing nation.
Meanwhile, Makembo has also hailed the Ministry of Sports, Youth and Arts for always working tirelessly to support sports federations.
Government through the ministry has pledged to reward the netball team for making the country proud.
Makembo urged sports federations to supplement Government’s efforts by producing results which will make the nation proud like the netball team has done.
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