AUSC REGION 5 EYES OYDC ZAMBIA

The African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Chief Executive Officer Stanley Mutoya has disclosed that the Council plans to make the OYDC Zambia – Sports Development Centre a satellite for the Podium Performance Programme.

Touring the OYDC Zambia facilities on Tuesday 3rd October 2023, Mutoya expressed happiness that management has kept the Centre up and running eleven years after successfully hosting the Zone 6 Games in 2012 now known as the AUSC Region 5 Games.

He says making OYDC Zambia a ‘Region Center’ will add more value to the AUSC Region 5’s direction in preparing athletes for the Brisbane 2032 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games respectively.

‘’The tour intends to make OYDC Zambia, one of our satellite Podium Performance Programme Centers, where we will bring athletes from the region as we prepare for the road to Brisbane 2032. And we have looked into several facilities; we looked at the hockey, swimming pool, track and field, judo hall, basketball court, boxing & multipurpose halls, beach volleyball court, football pitch and most importantly the lodge that provides accommodation’’ he said.

Meanwhile, Mutoya says to make the OYDC Zambia more competitive and attractive in the region and across the globe there will be a need to set up a Sports Science and Sports Medicine hub at the facility to tackle issues of testing and measurements of athletes from the scientific aspect.

‘’There is work that needs to be done to make the place a competent centre that can compete with any other facilities in the region and globally. One of the areas that we think we need attention will be the Sports Science and Sports Medicine side. The issues of testing and measurements, of our athletes from a scientific point of view. These are the issues we will need to look into in terms of diversification to make this one of the centres for the region’’ Mutoya said.

He expressed hope that at the end of 2024, all these will be attained once respective parties such as the Government of the Republic of Zambia, the National Olympic Committee of Zambia (NOCZ) and the OYDC Zambia are engaged.

Others who joined the tour include; African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 programmes manager Sombwa Musunsa, AUSC Region 5 Personal Assistant to the CEO Nonofo Sepathla, Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts Registrar Sikota Mwanangombe, and OYDC Zambia management among others.