The Zambia Hockey Association (ZHA) has expressed its appreciation for the support of $5000 USD from the National Olympic Committee of Zambia (NOCZ) towards the national men's and women's hockey teams. The teams are currently in Pretoria, South Africa, competing in the Paris 2024 Olympic qualifiers. Elvis Bwalya, the Acting General Secretary of the Zambia Hockey Association, said that both teams have safely arrived in South Africa and are settling in comfortably in Pretoria. The teams are preparing for their matches against Kenya for the women's team and Ghana for the men's team on October 29, 2023. A Friday training session is planned for the teams to familiarize themselves with the turf. Martha Kalomo and Shadrick Katele, two senior players from the men's and women's teams, have shown their enthusiasm and readiness for the upcoming qualifiers. Kalomo emphasizes that her team has come to South Africa with the goal of qualifying and will not underestimate their opponents. She acknowledges the motivating support from their homeland. Shadrick Katele shared his optimism, believing that the hockey team is on the brink of making history by becoming the first team sport to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. He assured that the players are fully committed and determined to meet the expectations of the many Zambians at home and in the diaspora. Zambia's journey in the qualifiers will include matches against countries like Egypt, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, and the host nation, South Africa. The top-performing teams in each gender category will secure direct spots in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.