MINISTER of Sports and Youth Chishimba Kambwili has said that he will investigate the Zambian athletes’ attire scandal at the London Paralympic Games and has warned of disciplinary action against National Paralympic Committee of Zambia (NPCZ) officials.
The two athletes Katongo Lasamu and Rhodah Mutale were clad in some cheap attire with a Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) logo during the flag-raising ceremony last Wednesday.
The Paralympics Organising Committee rejected Zambia’s attire because of the FAZ emblem and were ordered to buy new kit.
Kambwili said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that it is embarrassing for athletes representing the country to be clad in such attire at a high profile world event.
“We shall investigate the matter when they come back. We don’t expect this from athletes representing the country. Disciplinary action will be taken if anybody is found wanting because this is very embarrassing. It is a huge event and going like that is unacceptable,” he said.
The minister said his ministry and Government at large does not want to be part of such an embarrassment and was not even aware the athletes had a problem with kit.
He said the NPCZ officials should have engaged government or the corporate world if they had problems acquiring kit.
“I was not even aware they had a problem with kit. This is very embarrassing and unacceptable. We shall not tolerate such,” he said.
Kambwili said he runs an open-door policy and his office is open to all associations.
“They should have engaged me personally if they had a problem with kit. Embarrassing the nation like that is unacceptable,” he said.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Blah blah blah,start with an introspection first to escertain if you are discharging your work with professionalism and etiquete,too much kusabaila baba! Am still waiting for action from COI reports .
This is very embarassing for a country that is now being recognised by the sporting world. Please bring them to book.
Reacting & taking action is good. Don’t you think taking a pro-active stance would have been better? We are talking Olympics and the Minister is so ignorant on what plans were in place? C’mon guys!
I see no problem Zambia is a Champion of socer. The guys need to use that knowing so well that they cant win any game where they are. So the best is for them to use what we have already won.
I am beginning to like this man Kambili because more often than not, he talks about issues and less about personalities. He is beginning to show his I CAN DO attitude. He may step on toes in the process, but I have a big heart for people with CAN DO attitude for our Country.Â
Well sometimes its better to hold your fire Honorable lest you be found that you are the causer of the problem! You have power to discipline but I think the challenge of our delegates reflects a lot about our Zambian standards. Why should they pretend if that is what you thought was right? I hope your statement wont be like that of King Herod in the bible who beheaded John the Baptist because he could not reverse the decision. In such instance, its better to offer a neutral statement than an emotionally charged statement before having the full details of the story!
By the way, we have a lot of substandard roads, houses etc because someone somehow decided to use cheap products. Therefore this problem is ingrained in our society. Lets just learn from this and improve.
Some people earn a living from FAZ
Dealing ne filema is not easy, they are very difficulty. And also if those 2 are blind then their organizers might have swindled their money, very few blinds dress well, even Steve Wonder most of the time dress too cheaply.
Sir, this is a horrible comment. I think you can do better than this. Respect the differently abled people please.
@Nostradamus, I am sure you can do better than this. Be sensitive, you are a potential disabled person as you can lose (use of) your legs, arms or sight anytime – through an accident or illness. So mind what you say!
i.d.i.o.t.i.c. comment.
…as long as you are breathing pray that you will never end up disabled. No one wishes to be born like that nor become disabled thru accidents. Ulichipuba sana kolwe iwe.
Just how the hell did the whole entire minister of sport, and quote: “I was not even aware they had a problem with kit”. This says a lot about what this gumu-gumu is aware of because if he was not aware of the kit his soldiers are wearing, what is he aware of in this world of this Bemba Govt for the Bembas?
Where were you when they were leaving, bwana Kambwili. To my best of knowledge, the problem is with the Ministry of Sport itself. Its very difficult and most of the time impossible for persons with disabilities to get funding for any activity at the Ministry of Sport. In the end, the disabled see approaching that Ministry as a waste of time. Even in this Paralympics case, Kambwili himself may have laughed the athletes off as time wasters. We dont have any regard for sports for the disabled in Zambia. Bwana Kambwili is just playing public relations.
Well put. Maybe we need such occurences for people to take note of their mistakes.
For him to say he wasn’t aware is equally embracing in itself…where was he? why wasn’t he aware ? Its unfortunate that he wants to make this a blame game…
:) The only working minister.
Icho. Viva Kambwili aka little cobra
hahhahaha…Zambia is a rubbish country
You cant catch me, i am in America!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe Mushota has a point after all in her usual comments.
Kambwile doing what he does best. Mukanwa bamudala
I find it very foolish that this man has the audacity to say such things. HE and his ministry should have made sure these guys had the RIGHT KIT. How on earth do you send off people to a world event without checking if the had all they needed? This is like saying you cannot support your child who is on scholarship just because everything else is being paid for. A good parent would always call you aside and give you a ka extra something just to make sure all is well. The man is an embarrassment himself. Ala! [-(
I am willing to bet those two athletes struggled in their training programmes and hardly had any support from the Ministry. Come to think of it, why didn’t the minister escort them to London for the opening ceremony to show the government supports and endorses disability rights and issues? They are just as important as him going to Gabon for the Africa Cup.Unless of course he went to the London Olympics beforehand…. does he cherry pick the events he goes to?
Kambwili is a BUFFOON and a loud empty tin..in Zambia the like loud noise makers as it shows one is intelligent… wasn’t his department aware of the kit….why didn’t they use the selfsame kit the used at the Olympics…why is it that the other equally incompetent association hasn’t been dissolved?
Actually Zambian athletes were the worst dressed. Clearly there was no seriousness about the whole thing. Kambwili is just playing to the gallery.
what did they expect them to wear? Zed is a poverty stricken country where the majority cannot afford to feed let alone buy expensive clothes, especially when all they’ve worn in their entire lives is “salaula from dusty corridors”
infact…there are worse things in the country that are embarassing us as a nation than cheap sports attire…
ie:- poverty
– no money in the pockets
– filthy hospitals
– water shortages
– blackouts
– police brutality
– hunger
– disease
– illiteracy
– supersistious beliefs
– fake pastors & their churches
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& and…
Luck of good preparation from home and organizer are to blame.