MPONDELA PONDERS RETIREMENT

ZAMBIA Athletics (ZA) president Elias Mpondela has hinted that he will soon retire from the Association.

Speaking in an interview, Mpondela said a right time will come when another person will take over from him adding that he was said he was happy that in his Journey, he had made a contribution but that he was optimistic that whoever would take over from him will probably do better.

“Those who say that I must go, I don’t know why they say I must go. I don’t know the reason they give. They always say ‘overstaying’ but in my overstaying, we have been performing,” Mpondela boasted.

He said he was focusing his attention on making Zambia a force to reckon with in athletics by enabling young people to achieve their dreams.

“Some people don’t like other people doing well. Some people just hate other people. They don’t look at the benefit of the country, they look at me. Others look at me and they don’t like me but for me, my pride is that in my journey, I have made a contribution and I am sure  soon, other people will pick up from me and we continue from there. The most important thing is to be consistent and do things better for the country,” he said.

Asked whether he is grooming anyone to take over from him, Mpondela responded in the affirmative, saying there was no way he could stay that long at the helm of the Association without grooming anyone.

“Yes, there are many. I have people who should be able to take over from me. Glooming also requires that people are willing. The willing ones are there. You can’t stay this long and not build other leaders. It means you are a selfish leader. There are leaders who can take over from me and probably do better than me,” he said.

And Mpondela said he was happy that during his tenure, athletics has been regarded as the second successful sport from football which he said was a big achievement.

Sports pundits and athletics coaches have been baying for the blood of Mpondela, saying he must step aside from the Association because he has overstayed.