UNZA VOLLEYBALL CLUB IMPRESSES ZAVA

Zambia Volleyball Association (ZAVA) has hailed the University of Zambia (UNZA) Men’s Volleyball Club for minting bronze at the recently held Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) 2021 Zone 6 senior championships in Maputo, Mozambique.

In an interview with the National Olympic Committee of Zambia, ZAVA General Secretary Gift Chesekela shared that the win is a plus for the federation and a clear indication that Zambian Volleyball is developing steadily barely two years after Indeni Volleyball club scooped bronze at the CAVB 2019 edition.

He said the general performance of the Zambian Teams that participated at the CAVB Championships was impressive despite having only one team getting to the podium stage.

He said the association will remain focused and consistent in delivering results for the country with the aim of finishing at the top.

He added that the introduction of the national league where the best clubs in the country compete has helped to yield positive results at club championships.

Mr. Chesekela, however, emphasized the need to invest more in athlete development especially from the grassroots level so as to have young athletes take up responsibility from their seniors when they are retired.

He went on to cite the lack of technical development and insufficient resources as the major challenge faced by most clubs.

He also disclosed that the association is working to target and train more young players from the grassroots level in order to eliminate the vacuum that is created in transitioning from age group to senior competitions.

The University of Zambia Team last week qualified to the African Club Championships after knocking out their countrymen Nkwazi Volleyball club in the quarter-finals and proceeded to the semi-finals before settling for the third position.

The three Zambian clubs that participated at the games included UNZA, Nkwazi, and Prisons Leopard Women’s Volleyball club who made their first-ever appearance at the games.

Zambia will later this year host the 2022 edition of the CAVB Zone 6 Championships.