U18 Hockey Team Qualifies For 2018 Youth Olympic Games

Zambia beat Kenya 4-1 in a hockey semi-final match played on 25th July, 2018 at the Youth African Games in Algeria.

The win did not only grant the team a final berth against South Africa at the African Youth Games but also qualified it to the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games to be staged in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 6th to 18th October, 2018.

In today’s final match between Zambia and South Africa the match ended 1-1 on full time and proceeded to penalty shoot outs were the Zambian team lost 2-0 minting silver medal.

OYDC Director Dr. Fredrick Chitangala, expresses happiness that the team has qualified for the Youth Olympic Games stating that the Centre will continue to make available,well maintained facilities to athletes, coaches, sport administrators, and sport federations for optimum results. The team has proven to the nation that the training and camping at the OYDC before the games commenced was worth hosting as the skillful boys continued to shine and reign supreme in Algeria with positive results.

“Our boys have qualified for the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina. The OYDC and the Olympic movement in Zambia congratulate the boys for the job well done. We also want to thank Mr. Coen Teulings, Chairman of Merifin Capital in Belgium whose sponsorship to OYDC has always included hockey. Without the Teulings Youth Sports Challenge we would not have achieved what we have in hockey so far. These boys were identified in the Teulings Youth sport Challenge league which has been running for 6 years consecutively. The league provides a platform for organized competition and free health checks for the young participants drawn from the local communities and schools.” Dr. Chitangala said.

He added “Many thanks to the National Olympic Committee of Zambia (NOCZ)for their commitment in developing sports in Zambia without whom the boys could have found it extremely hard to travel to Algeria. We wish to also commend government through the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development for having an all inclusive sports development policy that is finally seeing the glorification of the so- called minor sports. I appeal to the corporate world to come forward and support us as we prepare the boys for the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina”.

Team coach Samuel Tagwireyi, says the mission to qualify to the Youth Olympic Games has been accomplished in Algeria. He pays gratitude to Zambia Hockey Association, OYDC, NOCZ and the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development for supporting the team.

Zambia hockey team made its debut appearance at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games staged in Nanjing, China together with the female team. Coach Tagwireyi was part of the team that represented Zambia in Nanjing, China where the men’s team came out 7th.