On the sidelines of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France, a great occasion took place, where the President of Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Mostapha Berraf, met with Coen Teulings, the chairman of Merifin Capital in Belgium and a long-time sponsor of OYDC Zambia – Sports Development Centre, and the President of the National Olympic Committee of Zambia (NOCZ), Alfred Foloko, and his team, which included Secretary General Boniface Kambikambi, Dickson Jere, and Rodrick Ndhlovu, who is also Chef de Mission for Team Zambia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
President Foloko said the main topic of discussion was the work being done at the OYDC Zambia – Sports Development Centre. He briefed President Berraf and Mr. Teulings on the progress made in revamping the sports facility.
ANOCA under the Leadership of President Berraf had previously declared the centre to be a high-performance facility for the region, and Foloko informed them that the floor in the Multipurpose Hall is almost complete and that the government through the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts is working to ensure a new running track is resurfaced.
President Berraf thanked the leadership of President Foloko and encouraged him to continue working hard to realize the dream of using the centre as a regional hub. He assured Foloko of ANOCA's full support, which is why they had donated the floor for the Mutipurpose Hall and why NOCZ has been provided with funding for the construction of the NOC House, which President Berraf believes will benefit all the national federations affiliated with the Olympic Movement once the construction is complete.
In response, Mr. Teulings pledged to continue supporting the centre, both to ANOCA President and NOCZ President Foloko, who is also the ANOCA Zone 6 President, especially with upcoming events such as the African Youth Games in Angola in 2025, the African Beach Games in Equatorial Guinea in 2025, the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal in 2026, and the African Games in Egypt in 2027, in which the centre will play an integral role in athlete preparations.
ANOCA presented Zambian-themed gifts to Mr. Teulings and his delegation, which included his wife Pauline Krayenhoff and his advisor Hans Bertels, on behalf of NOCZ. NOCZ also presented some gifts to the ANOCA president during the meeting.
For President Foloko, this meeting at the Paris 2024 Games underscores the growing recognition and support for the OYDC Zambia - Sports Development Centre, which is poised to become a hub for high-performance training and athlete development in the region, particularly in the lead-up to these upcoming African sporting events.
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