Ahead of the Athletics competition kick-off at the ongoing African Games which is scheduled for 18th March, the head coach of Zambia athletics team Douglas Kalimbo has admitted that team Nigeria will be a worthy competitor as they boast top level, professional athletes.
Despite Zambia parading the highest ranked athlete on the African continent in Muzala Samukonga, Douglas Kalimbo with much confidence in players stated the team is here to compete at their top-most capacity with the Olympics ticket the ultimate target.
Speaking ahead of the event, Kalimbo revealed that he’s looking at getting his top star to one of the fastest clock finish before the stage is event for the main event.
“I’m looking at him to get a gold medal and a good time because his best time is 43.96. So we are thinking maybe we can bring it to 43.20 and a good finish.”
“We have got Nigeria, there’s Ese in the female category and there’s the other guys, two of three guys in Nigeria and we have got Botswana also and other top athletes competing for their nation, those are good athletes so we are trying to make sure that we overcome them”, he said of his nation’s tough opponents.
“Currently, we have been just doing our warm-up and getting ready for the competition on Monday nothing serious. I’m just hoping everybody focus and do their best and that’s what I’m looking for and also qualify for the Olympics, that’s the main, main, main goal”, he added.
“The ultimate goal is to make sure we qualify for the Olympics. More than six or seven athletes qualifying, that would be very good for me and also for Zambia”.
Kalimbo who has been in charge of the Zambia Athletics team will be hoping that is guys make the nation proud in the various categories they will be competing in four categories which includes the 400, 200, 100 and 800m.
Zambia who has only won one gold in the history of athletics competition at the African Games will be hoping to break the jinx this time around.
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