Athletics icon Samuel Matete is relishing his new role as Zambia national team assistant coach and Northern Region technical director.
Zambia’s most successful sports man Matete has taken up the two roles after his recent reconciliation with the Elias Mpondela led Zambia Athletics Association executive committee.
Matete says he was utilising his role as coach to help revamp athletics and ensure that Zambia return to glory days on the international front.
“It is always a great opportunity for me to give back to my country. I was champion because my talent was identified and nurtured in this country. We want to spread athletics,” the former 400 meters hurdles World champion said.
“I am looking forward to adding more value to athletics in Zambia. Now I understand how to identify and nurture talent. I am very much determined to ensure that we go to schools and communities to unearth athletics as you know we have Olympics and Commonwealth Games coming up,” Matete said.
The 1996 Olympics Silver-medallist has since organised the first ever track and field event at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola aimed at assessing the quality of runners in the Northern Region to be staged on December 15.
Matete added:”It is good that now athletics has access to Levy Mwanawasa Stadium. We need to use that stadium for athletics as well. It is a great infrastructure for the sport.”
Just go afterb Mpondela’s seat. He has been there for too long with no medals to show.
Zambian atheletics is not about fun run and tug of wars at the show ground but medals at the commonwealth games etc.
That is what he tried to do but Mpondela squeezed him into submission
Is Matete Zambias most successful Sportsman as the writer of this article alleges?
He beats Kalusha Bwalya, Lottie Mwale, Yotam Muleya, Zambian Swimmers, and Satwant Singh the 8 time Africa Rally Champion???
Matete was and is the only Zambian to hold a world champion title.
Its a matter of opinion. However, Matete is the country’s only world title gold medalist Olympic silver medalist common wealth gold medalist so to beat him the rest have to shine at the global stage
Is HH jealous too of him?
Elias Mpondla has been heading ZAAA for far too long and nothing to show for it.
Frequent trips for shopping for clothes and not medals is the norm.
Is there no clause at the National Council for sport to limit the Wamuyaya snydrome?
Enough is enough.
Look at Matete looking all haggered and poverty stricken for all his efforts in bringing glory
to mother Zambia and look at the smirk look on this ka ***** ka Elias.
By all definitions,dictatorship is at ZAAA.Elias Mpondela has be ZAAA President for ages and he dares not to be challenged.
@ Lombe, Yes Matete beats them all because he won World championships.
Kindly read below why Matete is the most successful sports man in Zambia.
Matete won a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships and was twice silver medalist at the same event.
He was three-time World Cup winner and won gold at the 1994 Commonwealth Games.
Matete later won a silver medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta in what still is Zambia’s last medal at the World biggest showpiece event.
Good bye ZAAA with mpondela at the helm I won’t allow my son to represent Zambia. He will run for another country
Still looks fit
I remember Samuel coming to my office as he came to meet with john mufalari at kitwe’s copperbelt bottling… that’s how/where his journey started. a great humble guy
there was squash champ/player, last name gondwe, I forget his first name, I worked with his sister at bottling as well….
the good old days. there used to be a great basketball league in lsk, (I thought i’ll go far lol)
lottie mwale (ngunduzani) chisanda mutti… those were world class boxers.
sorry I am being nostalgic, It seems like Zambia is ridden with so much mess right now, or maybe it’s just that times have changed or maybe the fact that due to the ubiquitous social media platforms mostly peddling shocking and negative pieces, political/party infighting ….
ok naleka lol
HH’s fault!
But this Mpondela chap, why is he clinging to ZAAA. We need new ideas. This is not moribund UNIP and Tilyenji