One Zambian lawmaker has decided our athletes will no longer be ignored. Kennedy Phiri, a Member of Parliament elected under the Mixed Member Proportional Representation system, announced on November 8, 2026 that he will use the full weight of Parliament to push sports development across the country.
Phiri, who sits on the Parliamentary Committee on Sports, said he will deploy all four fundamental responsibilities of Parliament: representation, legislation, budget scrutiny and oversight. In plain language, he intends to fight for our sportsmen and sportswomen where the decisions are actually made.
Bringing the voice of our athletes to Parliament
According to LusakaTimes.com, Phiri wants to bridge the gap between what athletes endure in their communities and what appears on the national policy platform. He is tired of the disconnect between Lusaka boardrooms and the dusty pitches of Mpika, Mongu and Chipata.
“I intend to bring the concerns of the sports fraternity directly to Parliament, advocate policies and legislation that create an enabling environment for sports development and ensure that sports receives the attention it deserves in national development priorities,” Phiri said.
This is exactly the kind of talk Zambians have waited to hear for decades. Our talent has never been the problem. Our problem is that the money and the facilities never leave the capital.
The money must leave Lusaka
Phiri did not mince his words about the national budget. He expressed concern over the inadequate prioritisation of sports infrastructure, and he is right to do so. Year after year, our athletes train in conditions that would shame a serious nation.
“While we recognise that the Government has competing national priorities, sports cannot develop meaningfully without deliberate and sustained investment. When you examine sports development in Zambia you will realise that the challenge is not necessarily lack of sports talent, we have talent in abundance but many lack access to appropriate facilities, equipment, training opportunities and structured competitions through which they develop their abilities,” he said.
He went further, and this is where his message hits hardest for ordinary Zambians. Phiri said sports funding must reach every province, not just Lusaka and a handful of big towns.
“I believe we must change the way we approach sports funding. Sports development should not be concentrated only in Lusaka and a few major urban centres, it must reach communities across all provinces including rural and underserved areas,” he said.
He called for deliberate and equitable resource allocation, backed by a funding framework that considers population, sporting potential, infrastructure deficit, disability inclusion and the level of sports development in particular communities. That is a plan, not a slogan.
No athlete left behind, including our disabled champions
Phiri also took up a cause that too many politicians prefer to forget: sports for persons with disabilities. He said this area has historically received insufficient attention and investment, and he pledged to pay it particular attention in his parliamentary work.
“We cannot talk about inclusive sports development when facilities are not designed or equipped to accommodate athletes with disabilities,” Phiri said.
Zambians with disabilities have brought this nation honour on the world stage, often with a fraction of the support given to mainstream sports. A lawmaker who names that injustice in Parliament deserves our backing.
Schools: where our national talent is born
Phiri also stressed the need to strengthen school and community sports, pointing out that schools remain the most important institutions for identifying and nurturing sporting talent.
“If we invest in school competitions, community leagues, local coaches and basic sporting facilities, we create a sustainable foundation for national sports development,” he said.
Anyone who remembers the great Zambian sporting generations knows they started on school fields and community grounds, not in foreign-funded academies. The foundation of our national pride has always been local, and it must stay that way.
Government also talking up sport investment
The push comes as the top leadership also speaks about sport as an economic driver. According to ZNBC, President Hakainde Hichilema has described sport as a lucrative business with the potential to contribute significantly to economic growth and national development, provided there is adequate investment and appropriate structures.
Fine words. But Zambians have heard fine words before. What matters now is whether the 2027 budget puts real money behind community sports, rural facilities and disabled athletes, or whether the promises stay locked in Lusaka.
Phiri has laid out the battlefield: the budget line. The nation will be watching to see whether Parliament backs him with the resources our athletes have been denied for too long.
FAQ
Who is Kennedy Phiri?
Kennedy Phiri is a Zambian Member of Parliament elected under the Mixed Member Proportional Representation system and a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Sports.
What did Phiri promise for Zambian sports?
On November 8, 2026, he pledged to use representation, legislation, budget scrutiny and oversight to advance sports development, with a focus on rural communities, school sports and athletes with disabilities.
What did he say about sports funding?
Phiri said sports funding must not be concentrated in Lusaka and major urban centres, and called for an equitable funding framework based on population, sporting potential and infrastructure deficit.