By Edwin Mbulo

PEOPLE living with disabilities can help to contribute to sports development, says Annet Sonko.

In an interview Annet Sonko who is Response Network (RN) assistant sports facilitator urged people living with disabilities to engage in sports activities.

“Through our community interventions we managed to get people living with disabilities especially women to engage in sports activities and our inaugural sports tournament in Zimba’s Nyawa village attracted 13 teams. We firmly believe that people living with disabilities can help contribute to sports development through their participation in tournaments,” Sonko said.

She added that RN encourages communities to engage in self-help projects as opposed to dependency but however, appealed for assistance from any organisation so as to be able to sustain the tournament planned to an annual event.

“Women in Nyawa mobilized themselves and organised an inclusive women tournament and each team had two men, the qualification for each team was that it should have two people living with disabilities,” she said.

Sonko said the tournament which started on August 14 was held on August 30 and Younger Stars Football Club won the tournament.

“The tournament motivated and encouraged the women to take up leadership roles,” she said.

And Young Star FC captain Veronica Sikayasa said the tournament was the clubs first active football participation.

“This has been our first time to play football and little did we know that we have the skill…the RN facilitator really motivational and inspired us,” Sikayasa said.

She further added that her team would also participate in other tournaments anywhere in Zambia.