After the debacle and failure to send a Zambian netball team that had qualified for the first time to the world cup, the ministry of sport has yet again failed the hockey fraternity.
One would have thought the netball debacle was a grave mistake; it now seems confirmed that there are serious cases of incompetence.
Details of the debacle are that the team was scheduled to travel to the African Cup before 11th October, but they only managed to secure their tickets on the actual day, Saturday.
This led to the forfeiture of two key fixtures against South Africa (11th October) and Ghana (12th October), losing 5-0 for each and dimming the chances of the country grabbing accolades at the continental showpiece taking place in Egypt.
This is not the first time the hockey team has undergone such a frustrating episode; in 2017, the team forfeited its participation at the Africa Cup due to lack of finances.
Similarly, the Under 21 netball team failed to travel to the world cup in Gibraltar due to finances, after months of planning and preparations by the athletes.
Interestingly, in a letter accessed by the Zambian Business Times through a source whose details have been withheld, the Zambia Hockey Association has written to the Ministry of Sports demanding urgent answers to the matter.
“It has come to our attention that the team was instructed to be at the airport on Wednesday, 8th of October; despite their prompt compliance, they had not received their plane tickets. This pattern of bureaucratic pattern continued from the 9th to the 11th, when they finally received air tickets, though these were issued on four different airlines, thereby complicating travel arrangements,” the letter indicated.
ZHA has further expressed major concern with the setback, highlighting that this is likely to prick at the country’s reputation and culminate in the team being excluded from the overall tournament.
Furthermore, the federation highlighted that the precedent set in handling logistical matters for both the netball and hockey undermines athletes, who endure so much to impress and represent the country with honour.
“Considering these events, we kindly request a detailed explanation of the circumstances that led to these delays and the steps the ministry is taking to address and prevent such issues in the future,” the letter concluded.
The issues surrounding the hockey team are a reflection of the many hurdles facing the sports fraternity, and perhaps the letter is a voice to the many federations that are stunted due to gross incompetency.
Although the Ministry of Art, Youth and Sports was allocated K355 million in the 2026 budget, many federations have complained that they do not receive a fair share of the cake, and some have not even received a penny in the last several years.
Why should a country with a proven track record of sport success fail to sponsor its own?
The onus is on the ministry to seek long-term solutions for the sake of slashing off
“annual complaints” in the name of lack of resources whenever a major tournament surfaces.
