Kalembo optimistic about Mupopo’s chances in Rio

By Yvonne Sakala –
ZAMBIA athletics coach Douglas Kalembo has said his target is to see his runner Kabange Mupopo get into the finals of the 400 metres race at the 2016 Rio-Olympics Games that take place in Brazil next month.
Mupopo is a gold medal winner from the 2015 All-Africa Games and defended her title  Africa senior championships held in South Africa last month.
Kalembo said after the afternoon training session at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) that the morale of the runner was high and that she was looking forward to the start of the championship.
He said Mupopo was a determined and focused athlete who always strives to beat her best and that she wanted to fly the Zambian flag at the international stage.
He said the final was the initial target for his runner at the games with the prospects to be assessed once they reach the final.
“Kabange is in good form, training is going on well, we are looking forward to go and compete. Our focus is to see that Mupopo gets into finals at the championship because if she is in the finals, anything can happen. From there we can dream of a medal,” Kalembo said.
He called on people to rally behind the athlete and give her support for her to perform even better than she has been in the last few months.
He called on Zambians to rally behind Mupopo just as much as they do for the national football team.
“She needs support for her to work even harder, let’s support her like the way we do when it comes to football.She wants to feel that support from the people. Besides, this will help her mentally,” he said.
And Mupopo herself has vowed to give all she has at the Olympics and get into the medal once she reaches the final.
She added that trainings  had gone on well ahead of the championships and she feels like she can get a medal for Zambia
“The training is intense, I am looking forward to the games. I can promise the people that I will put in my best at the Olympics, get to the finals and fight to bring home a medal,” Mupopo said.