adminCurtworth Masango
EXPERIENCED athlete, Ebel Chibanda took second place in the Absa Lusaka half marathon in Zambia.
He was behind Josphat Musonda who won the race in a time of 1:07:11.
Chibanda finished in 1:07:44, ahead of Simalumba Weaver (1:07:47).
The athlete travelled to Lusaka by bus the previous day and performed well without having much time to rest.
Chibanda’s coach, Fridywell Chegura, told H-Metro they were delighted by their win despite, a lack of resources for them to equip themselves well.
“It’s a moment that reflects the hard work we put in behind the scenes.
“It also shows the determination and courage by the athlete.
“We are happy as a team to compete and be among the best.”
He added:
“For me, having my athlete competing in this race, and performing well, is a great achievement.
“We were aiming for first position, and it was very possible to win it.
“But, we spent the whole day travelling to Zambia, so he didn’t have enough time to rest.
“Those are the little things that are still dragging back our athletes.
“My focus is now on international times.
“We will work hard to qualify for the World Championship and the Olympic Games.
“If we achieve that, it means we would have gone a step higher.”
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter