Zambia's sole representative at next month Beijing Paralympic Games has promised to come back with a medal.
Larson Katongo, the 800 and 1,500 meters runner,told Xinhua Monday that he was working hard in training to ensure that he grabs a medal.
"I am training very hard, I am not discouraged that I will be the only athlete representing the country in China and I will bring a medal for my country, all I ask is that the government should continue supporting the disabled," the 21-year-old runner, who is partially blind, said.
The runner was chosen after being impressive at international tournaments. In 2006, he won a silver medal at the 2006 Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional games and during the All Africa Games in Algeria last year, he managed to come fifth.
"I know that Larson can do well at the Paralympics games even if it's his first time because his performance at the All Africa Games inAlgeria was impressive, he was able to compete with the Kenyans and Ethiopians and he was number five. He also won a silver medal at the 2006 Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional games," his trainer Paul Mwansa said.
The trainer said he was currently training the runner to improve his speed with only three weeks remaining before that start of the Games.
Zambia's eight representatives at the Beijing Olympic have all failed to go past the preliminary stage.
Runner Rachel Nachula, who participated in the400-meters heat, was the only who managed to reachthe semi-final after coming third. But the teenager runner also bowed out in the semi-final after finishing last.
The only remaining representative is 5,000-meter runner Tony Wamulwa who will be running on Wednesday.
(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2008)