OYDC ZAMBIA SPONSOR COEN TEULINGS ARRIVES

OYDC ZAMBIA SPONSOR COEN TEULINGS ARRIVES

Sponsor of the Teulings Youth Sports Challenge at the OYDC Zambia Coen Teulings who is the Chairman of Merifin Capital in Belgium has arrived in Zambia.

Teulings arrived in Zambia in the company of his wife Pauline Krayenhoff and will on Monday 15 May 2023 visit the OYDC Zambia facilities to appreciate his sponsorship to the Centre.

Teulings and his wife were received at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport by OYDC Zambia Chief Executive Officer Dr Fredrick Chitangala, National Olympic Committee of Zambia (NOCZ) Athletes Commission Chairperson Richard Mulenga and athletes from some of the sports disciplines he sponsors.

To date, Coen Teulings has provided financial support amounting to over K20 million ($1,200,000) which goes towards the training and camping of athletes, accommodation, food, transport, administration and the hosting of the Teulings Youth Sports Challenge. The immense support to OYDC Zambia has seen several Zambian athletes who started from grassroots graduating to senior level.

In the last 12 years over 6,567 Teulings competitions have been conducted at OYDC Zambia with more than 10,000 athletes from various sports disciplines. This has also seen the creation of part-time employment for coaches who are employed to mentor and nurture the athletes at the Centre.

The Teulings sponsorship is also extended to support health and education programmes for athletes and members of surrounding communities and this has benefitted thousands of people and has enabled them to have access to health checks and education on issues such as HIV/AIDS, Gender Based Violence, Child Protection, Mental Health and others. The support Coen Teulings continues to render to OYDC Zambia can never go unnoticed as some of the players that have benefitted at the grassroots level have gone on to form part of national teams and clubs in various sports disciplines.

Athletes have participated in competitions such as the Youth Olympic Games, All Africa Games, AUSC Region 5 Youth Games, Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games.

This has also resulted in the nation sending athletes to the 2014 Nanjing Olympic Games held in China where Zambia minted a gold medal in athletics through Sydney Siame in the 100m race while the world was celebrating Usain Bolt in the seniors’ category. Furthermore, the boys’ and girls’ hockey teams made their debut at these games and put up splendid performances.

Coen Teulings and his wife last visited Zambia at the OYDC on Thursday 11th May 2017.

He will be meeting athletes at the OYDC Zambia on 15 May 2023 at 14:00hrs and is further expected to pay a courtesy call to the Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts on Tuesday 16 May 2023.