Olympic Youth Development Centre includes korfball in program

The Olympic Youth Development Centre in Zambia will include korfball into its official program. This was announced by Mr Clement Chileshe, Director of the Centre, at the closing ceremony of the 3rd IKF All-African Korfball Championship held in Lusaka last week.

The multi-sport complex in Lusaka, Zambia, was estsblished in 2010 as part of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Sport for Hope Programme. The Centre welcomes on average 10,000 children and young adults per month, with currently 16 sports on the program. The facility is unique in the region. It includes football, netball, and hockey pitches outdoors, an indoor multi-sport hall, and an Olympic-size swimming pool. The Centre runs both sport-for-all programs, which reaches out into the less developed areas of Lusaka, and elite training programs for international and Olympic-level athletes.

From now on, the Centre will be the training venue for the Zambian national korfball team, and will conduct an outreach program in the area. The Centre also welcomes teams from other countries in the Southern African region. Apart from netball, which is the second largest sport in the country, korfball will be the only sport on the program that does not yet feature on the Olympic program.

The IKF and IKF Africa are very happy to be associated with the Centre, as it provides a clear opportunity to develop korfball in Zambia and the greater region, and provides opportunities for regular training for the Zambian elite korfball players.