Zambia hosted an exciting two-day event on April 13th and 14th, welcoming delegates from across Africa and beyond for the first of four Commonwealth Sport Regional meetings. The event took place in the tourist capital of Livingstone and was led by Dame Louise Martin, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).
The primary focus of the event was on planning and development in the region, as well as future events. CGF Regional Vice President for Africa Miriam Moyo and senior members of the CGF’s management team were in attendance, as well as representatives from 19 Commonwealth Games Associations across Africa. The event was graced by the Southern Province Minister Honourable Cornelius Mweetwa on behalf of the Republican Vice President W.K. Mutale Nalumango.
Delegates from across the region attended workshops and took part in extensive discussions surrounding the forthcoming Strategic Plan, which is set to be launched later in the year. There were updates on development, a review of regional plans, and sharing of best practices between delegates.
Excitingly, the CEO of Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games, Jeroen Weimar, was also present at the event, providing an update on the progress of the next Commonwealth Games, which will take place across the State of Victoria in March 2026. The Organising Committee of Trinbago 2023 provided a virtual update on the Commonwealth Youth Games as well.
Dame Louise Martin expressed her gratitude to everyone who attended the event, praising the enthusiasm and energy they brought to the workshops and wider discussions on both regional and broader topics for Commonwealth Sport. She also thanked the CGA Zambia for their support and generous hospitality in Livingstone. The highlight of the event for everyone involved was a visit to Victoria Falls, an awe-inspiring natural wonder.
The regional meetings are vital for the CGF to share their vision for the future and to gain further understanding of how they can support their CGAs in their development plans. The event was an overwhelming success, setting the bar high for the upcoming regional meetings around the Commonwealth.
CGA Zambia President Alfred Foloko expressed his gratitude to the CGF for granting Zambia the opportunity to host the regional meeting, stating, “We are honored to be a part of this distinguished community of nations and to have the opportunity to showcase our country and our commitment to the growth and development of the commonwealth sport movement in Africa.”
The event was an important collaboration that should be utilized to come up with initiatives that will be implemented by member countries. Republican Vice President Mutale Nalumango acknowledged the crucial role that the Commonwealth Sport movement plays in bringing diverse nations together and expressed her government’s continued commitment to producing the much-needed results by putting up policies to ensure athletes are prepared and ready to perform at the highest level.
The meeting was just the first of three events taking place around the world this month. The Asia/Africa event will take place in Brisbane on April 22nd and 23rd, followed by the Americas/Caribbean region event in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on April 27th and 28th before concluding with Europe in June 2023.
The anticipation for these events is high, as the bar has been set high by the success of the Zambia event.
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