IT’S GAME ON FOR THE 2023 TEULINGS YOUTH SPORTS CHALLENGE

IT’S GAME ON FOR THE 2023 TEULINGS YOUTH SPORTS CHALLENGE

…………Sponsor Coen Teulings is set to visit OYDC Zambia in May.

The wait is over for young talented athletes who were yearning for the commencement of the 2023 Teulings Youth Sports Challenge.

The youthful competition which is the biggest grassroots league in Zambia commenced on Saturday 1 April 2023 with four sports codes being hosted. The sports codes basketball, boxing, beach volleyball, and hockey saw over 500 athletes from communities surrounding OYDC Zambia participating.

Like any other competition year, all athletes before stepping on the competition turf and ring were subjected to health screening conducted by OYDC Zambia health partners to ensure that they were physically fit to showcase their sporting skills for the year. Furthermore, the players in the four sports codes hosted had an opportunity to attend Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) conducted at their various competition arenas.

OYDC Zambia Chief Executive Officer Dr Fredrick Chitangala disclosed that the zeal young athletes have towards sports at the state-of-the-art multisport facility is amazing and worth supporting by other local entities.

He says Coen Teulings, Chairman of the Merifin Capital in Belgium who has been the major sponsor of the league games has done a tremendous job adding that local entities should emulate this son of the soil who continues to render help not only to the centre but Zambia at large knowing that many of the athletes from Teulings Youth Sports Challenge have in the last few years brought glory to Zambia having participated at the Africa, AUSC Region 5, Olympic, Commonwealth and other major games.

Dr Chitangala added that OYDC desires to continue nurturing athletes at the facility through the Teulings Youth Sports Challenge who later get to be selected to be part of some of the local national teams and clubs.

And Dr Chitangala says the centre will be branding athletes by way of buying them OYDC/Teulings apparel to be used during the 2023 sports season. Meanwhile, Dr Chitangala has announced that Coen Teulings, Chairman of Merifin Capital in Belgium will be coming to Zambia next month to appreciate and see how his sponsorship of the league games continues to yield positive results.

The Teulings Youth Sports Challenge has been running at OYDC Zambia since 2011 and has seen several talented athletes from various sports codes minting medals at international competitions.

Some of the athletes who graduated from the Teulings Youth Sports Challenge represented Zambia at the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games in China, the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil, the 2017 Youth Commonwealth Games in the Bahamas, the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in Argentina, 2019 All Africa Games in Rabat Morocco, and 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games in UK among others.