Zambia mints seven tennis medals

ZAMBIA won seven medals at the just-ended Muungano Table Tennis championship held in Tanzania with budding star Choolwe Hamalambo voted player-of-the-tournament.

The Zambian team, that arrived back home in the early hours of yesterday from the tournament held to celebrate 50 years of union between Zanzibar and Tanganyika to become Tanzania, won two gold, four silver and a bronze.

Hamalambo was awarded with a gold medal for his exploits to add on the other gold won by Lloyd Mubanga and Mubanga Kunda in the mixed doubles event.

The Ping-Pong Stars player paired with Mubanga to win silver in the men’s doubles with Lucia Mwale and Kaunda also finishing second in the women’s doubles to get silver.

Mubanga later teamed up with Isaac Banda to mint silver in the men’s team event with Mwale and Kunda also winning silver in the women’s team events while Hamalambo won bronze after losing his semi final match to Amon Amani of Tanzania.

Meanwhile, Zambia Table Tennis Association (ZTTA) patron Haroon Ghumra said the tournament was a good platform to prepare the players ahead of the Africa Youth Games slated for Botswana next month.

Ghumra said Friday Ng’andu, Siamasiku Kalaluka and Noel Kasanda were not part of the Zambian team in Tanzania because they were preparing for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games set for July month-end.

National team coach Boyd Kabinda expressed happiness that the tournament was well organised adding that the Zambian team was given good hospitality by the organisers.