The Teulings Youth Sports League has once again proven to be a powerful platform for nurturing young Zambian athletes, as its graduates made a strong impression at the African Judo Open 2025 in Pretoria, South Africa.
Eight promising judokas, who rose through the OYDC Zambia Teulings Judo circuit, represented the country at the continental event — gaining valuable international exposure and testing their skills against elite opponents. The team’s performance, highlighted by Sasha Kapumpa’s gold and Andrew Kasangwa’s bronze in the 90kg category, underscores the long-term impact of structured grassroots programs in Zambia’s sporting ecosystem.
OYDC Zambia Acting CEO Benjamin Tembo praised the Teulings initiative for transforming youth sports into a breeding ground for excellence.
“Judo is one of the sports that has contributed to OYDC’s status as a hub of sports excellence. We are thankful to Zambia Judo for giving Teulings athletes the opportunity to demonstrate their progress at the international level,” Tembo said.
Tembo reaffirmed OYDC’s commitment to broad-based development, noting that Teulings-supported athletes will also feature at the upcoming Region 5 Games in Namibia.
Team leader Henry Mfula echoed the sentiment, applauding OYDC and the Teulings Foundation for their logistical and technical support.
“Their assistance made this international assignment much easier. The athletes faced tough challenges but gained invaluable experience,” he said, while also thanking the government for facilitating the trip.
The success in South Africa reflects how the Teulings Youth League has evolved beyond a domestic competition to become a pipeline for national representation and a catalyst for sports excellence. By bridging grassroots participation with international exposure, the league continues to empower young Zambians — not just to compete, but to lead the next generation of African sports talent.
