Copper Queens duo keeps fit amid Coronavirus epidemic
By Aaron Mubanga Jnr | May 3, 2020
The beautiful game of football has been suspended indefinitely worldwide because of the continued spread of coronavirus.
The Copper Queens qualified to the 2020 Japan summer Olympic Games after they beat Cameroon 2-1 at Nkoloma Stadium on 10th March thanks to goals from Mary Mwakapila and Hellen Mubanga to seal their qualification to the Olympics on away goals rule following a 3-2 loss in the first leg.
The Olympics were originally scheduled for 24 July to 9 August 2020, before being postponed to a year later due to the same pandemic.
Copper Queens duo of midfielders Mary Mwakapila and Irene Lungu has continued to keep fit and stay in shape in anticipation of football resuming soon.
The ZamFoot Crew caught up with the duo who were training at Queens Royal Academy turf in Lusaka West.
The duo and other Zambia Women’s national team players who stay around Lusaka west have been given liberty to use the school facilities by the owner Col Priscilla Katoba.
Mwakapila is happy to have such a space to train from during this time and has advised her fellow Copper Queens to stay active.
“It’s very important because we don’t have access to group training but have a chance to train at a space like this it’s something very important because we have games ahead and we not sure when this pandemic will end,” she said.
Maintaining fitness it’s something difficult but you can’t stay at home without doing anything because we have to stay active to prepare for future games.
“Everyone is in quarantine am sure they are all following the guidelines from the Ministry of Health. I know every player has a little space to do personal training and they need to utilize it and do some exercises to stay active even we are not together as a team,” she added.
Lungu also reiterated Mwakapila’s sentiments on staying active.
“it’s important for each player to keep fit. I was nursing an injury for a long time and am just getting back to full fitness,” Lungu told the ZamFoot Crew.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and local Organising Committees late in March confirmed that the Olympics will now take place from Friday 23rd July to Sunday 8th August 2021.