ZAMBIAN ATHLETICS COACH NTASUWILA NAMUKONDA ATTENDS WISH PROGRAMME RESIDENTIAL SESSION

Zambian Athletics Coach Ntasuwila Namukonda recently attended a 5-day residential session of the WISH (Women in Sport High Performance Pathway) programme at the University of Hertfordshire (UH) in the United Kingdom held from 20 to 26 August 2023. The program, which runs from May 2023 to January 2025, is designed to support female coaches who have demonstrated potential and ambition to succeed in gaining key roles at the highest level of their sport.

Namukonda was selected for the programme by the International Federation of Athletics (World Athletics) through the National Federation Zambia Athletics and the National Olympic Committee of Zambia (NOCZ) for her individual achievements, potential, and ambition.

Athletics Coach Ntasuwila Namukonda during the WISH residential session

In a comment on the residential session, Namukonda said that it was a good experience and that the sessions on topics such as leadership skills and conflict management among others were enriching and informative. She also expressed her gratitude to the WISH program for providing her with this opportunity to develop her coaching skills and knowledge.

The WISH program is a bespoke four-year programme that is coordinated by the University of Hertfordshire (UH), delivered by Females Achieving Brilliance (FAB), and supported by Olympic Solidarity (OS) and the participants' International Federations (IFs). The program includes:

• A 5-day residential session in the UK

• Self-assessment and 360-degree feedback on leadership and sport-specific competencies

• 8 online leadership sessions

• 8 leadership mentor sessions

• 4 sport-specific mentor sessions

• Access to a diverse network of coaches from different regions, sports, and cultures.

The WISH programme is a valuable opportunity for female coaches to develop their skills and knowledge and to network with other coaches from around the world. NOCZ is confident that Coach Namukonda who is also a trained International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) Coach Developer will benefit greatly from this program and that she will go on to achieve great things in her coaching career.

The programme supports the implementation of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Gender Equality and Inclusion Objectives for 2021-2024, and its commitment to the acceleration of women’s representation in sports leadership roles.