OYDC In Talks With Government To Resume Sport

The Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) Zambia is set to engage in talks with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Sport and Child Development, as well as the National Sports Council of Zambia and the National Olympic Committee of Zambia on steps to resume some sports in the country, which have come to a halt as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

OYDC Chief Executive Dr Frederic Chitangala said the talks followed on from President Lungu’s recent announcement that non-contact sports such as tennis and golf could resume.

Dr Chitangala said if the relevant stakeholders approved, the OYDC sports centre in Lusaka would resume programmes for tennis, athletics, badminton, table tennis, pool and chess. 

Those wishing to participate would be screened for body temperature at the main door and no more than 50 spectators would be allowed at any one event, he said. 

The OYDC was forced to indefinitely suspend all sport and non-sports activities on 17th March following the outbreak of Covid-19 in Zambia and a subsequent presidential directive closing down all non-essential businesses. 

The OYDC issued a statement saying that it “values the health of every citizen, and it is our hope that measures being taken by government to avoid the further spread of the virus are adhered to by all well-meaning Zambians”.