NDINAWE SIMPELWE
Ndola
KONKOLA Copper Mines has unveiled a K200,000 sponsorship for the second edition of the Kopala Inter-Company Relay (ICR).
Speaking at the launch in Chingola yesterday, deputy chief executive officer Satish Kumar described it as not just a sponsorship but a shared vision aimed at promoting wellness, teamwork and healthy lifestyles.
“This contribution is a demonstration of our commitment to promote health and wellness across different spheres of sport. Our support goes beyond financial assistance. It is about investing in the well-being and future of our employees and members of our community,” Kumar said.
This year’s theme is “Celebrating corporate partnerships, health and wellness – by acting together, we can win”, and the event will be held at Nchanga Stadium on October 17.
Kumar said the theme aligns with KCM’s broader commitment to ensure that livelihood enhancement and sustainable community development are achieved through collaboration.
And Zambia Athletics (ZA) president Bernard Bwalya expressed gratitude to KCM for the continued partnership with the association, saying it demonstrates the belief which the mining company has in the sport.
Bwalya said the initiative – ICR – has shown that it can bring results with a number of athletes now competing on international stages.
He said apart from promoting health, wellness and strengthening partnerships, the ICR also helps in identifying talent as not only employees take part in the event.
“The ICR has a proud history. It has been in existence for more than 20 years and is usually held in Lusaka. We also want to decentralise the sport, so we have started hosting on the Copperbelt and other regions. This year’s ICR, we are integrating it into the KCM sports day. So there will be so many activities happening on that particular day,” Bwalya said.
