OYDC provides positive sport and life style opportunities for athletes, coaches, sports administrators and under saved women, youth and children, through high quality facilities for community development.
The Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) was established to provide sport and community development opportunities for young people and under-served segments of the population from the surrounding communities. It is based on beliefs and experiences that sport and its related facets, when harnessed well in an enabling environment, has the power to bring hope and development. A high quality sport environment provides, motivates and breeds high quality athletes and sports leaders.
The OYDC project is a result of the signed agreement between the GRZ, the IOC and the NOCZ on 26th September 2007. The partners agreed to work together in functionalising the roles, obligations and commitments of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). While the NOCZ will own the facility, a Board of trustees has been put in place to manage the OYDC. On 11th May 2010 Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) inauguration was held and the event was graced by His Excellency the Republican President of Zambia Mr. Rupiah Bwezani Banda and the President of International Olympic Committee Dr. Jacques Rogge. Following this, the Mayor of Lusaka flagged off Centre activities on 20th May 2010.
Since the launch of OYDC, about 600 children and youth on a daily basis participate in various sport activities. To achieve this, the Centre works in collaboration with sixteen NFs some of whom have provided coaches in football, netball, tennis, table tennis, volleyball, basketball, boxing, athletics, judo, taekwondo, hockey, handball, badminton, weightlifting, swimming and chess. The coaches are all based at the Centre where they plan and manage their respective sport and conduct their day to day activities for athletes.
To ensure effective and efficient implementation of sport programmes, the OYDC management holds weekly consultative meetings with the coordinators and monthly and now quarterly consultative meetings with the presidents and general secretaries of NFs to ensure good practices of participatory and consultative planning approaches in the management of Centre activities.
In line with Olympism and the values of the IOC, the facility acts as an operation Centre for the National Olympic Academy (NOA) projects through which Olympic education and sport for social change is being delivered. Currently more than 500 children each week engage in sessions on Olympic education from the Centre and more than 5000 athletes have benefited from the programme. It is envisaged that forging a strong partnership between the NOA and NGOs will ensure that the power of sport contributes to positive live changes.
Our Physical Address is:
Plot Number 33847, Corner of New Kansangula /Great North Road,
P.O. Box 38990, Lusaka Zambia
Phone: +260954800772
Leave a comment