ZMSA Is A Shining Example To Other Associations - Govt
By Ignatius Mazeko
GOVERNMENT has said the Zambia Motor Sport Association (ZMSA) has been a shining example to other sports associations on good administration and management.
Sport, Youth and Child Development deputy minister Mayward Misapa said last night during the ZMSA 2009 Awards Gala at Southern Sun Ridgeway that the Association has brought honour to Zambia, which government trusts would continue into the future.
Misapa congratulated ZMSA personalities for the achievement at international level and further extolled the business houses and the general public for their continued support towards 4x4, Rally and Motorcycle sport.
“Indeed motor sport has grown steadily over the past 40 years in our country and the Zambia Motor Sport Association has for many years been a shining example to other sports associations and management of their sport,” he said.
He praised the Lusaka Motor Cycle Club (LMCC), an affiliate of the ZMSA through the motorcycle commission, for developing a new moto track on Leopards Hill Road to replace the famous Eureka Motopark that was closed at the end of the 2008 season.
“On behalf of my ministry I wish to affirm that government will continue supporting all the sporting federations in our country and we are happy to be part of the motor sport family,” he said.
He said sport plays a vital role in providing revenue and entertainment to Zambia adding that sports personalities provide a percent to the gross domestic product (GDP), which he said was essential to the country’s economy.
ZMSA president Marco Comana thanked Government, through the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development for helping the ZMSA clear motor sport machinery duty free, a gesture which he described as a big boost that cushioned the obstacles faced in the year.
Comana said the ZMSA performed well in the year under review achieving a number of international accolades and that locally there were accomplishments by the 4x4 discipline that clinched a lucrative sponsorship deal with Stanbic Bank Zambia, a subsidiary of Standard Bank Group.
The Honda Zambia managing director said despite the setbacks with reduced commercial advertising and sponsorship to Rally, the Rally Commission managed to host the annual Zambia International Rally that last had a title sponsor in 2003.
He commended Team Madison Racing driver Mohammed Essa for winning the Zim-Zam Challenge title and for his good in the FIA’s African Rally Championship (ARC) and Pirelli Africa Star Driver (PSD) competition for drivers aged between 18 and 27 years.
“The sport that took off strongly in 2008 and reached new expectations in 2009 was the 4x4 discipline. Television here and abroad has popularized this sport globally and in Africa. The 4x4 section were fortunate to land a strong sponsor in Stanbic Bank and to this I would like to commend Fred Anderson and thank Stanbic Bank,” he said.
Comana further thanked motocross member, David Becker for the time and effort he took to build and design the new Leopards Hill Motopark, which also stages 4x4 Challenge competitions.
Among the award recipients was the Lusaka Motor Club (LMC) that scooped the club of the year award while 4x4 Challenge driver and champion Jaco Scheepers was voted sportsman of the year.
The administrator of the year award was won by 4x4 Challenge official, Jean Anderson while Essa and his navigator Ajit Naik formally received the rally crowns for second successive year.
Some of the notables sport administrators who attended the function were National Sports Council of Zambia (NSCZ) board members Elliot Mhende and Ian Mbewe, a former ZMSA vice-president. ©ZMSA
