Table tennis team leaves for Botswana

By GRACE CHAILE LESOETSA

THE Zambia national table tennis team left for Botswana on Wednesday for the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region Five championship which kicked off yesterday.

The team of six players and a coach left by road and were expected to arrive in Gaborone last evening.

A total of K80, 000 was required to send a team of 10 players and officials to Botswana.

Zambia Table Tennis Association (ZTTA) interim president Wisdom Kaunda was happy to have managed to send a team to Botswana though only half of the initial number travelled due to limited resources.

Kaunda said the association was initially expected to send 10 players but the number was reduced to six.

He explained that the travel of the team was made possible after Sports Council of Zambia came on board and released K15, 000.

“I can confirm that a seven member Zambian team of six players and a coach left yesterday (Wednesday) after we managed to source for some more funds, so basically we managed to raised half of the K80, 000. A contribution from Sports Council, an individual and savings in ZTTA account enabled the travel of the team,” he said.

He said the association was still scouting for funds to send the two paralympic players to the same event whose competition starts next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Kaunda was optimistic the six players would put up a good performance at the tournament.

The Zambian team is today set to start their campaign for medals.

Other competing nations include South Africa, Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Malawi and Tanzania.

Men; Kennedy Katungu, Choolwe Haamalambo and Emmanuel Munga

Women; Mubanga Kunda, Latifa Nalavwe and Janet Mwelwa