THE Japan Olympic Committee, through the National Olympic Committee of Zambia (NOCZ), has donated sports equipment to Team Zambia for use at the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) Zone Six Youth Games that start this week.

The donated items include 700 track suits and 700 t-shirts for athletes and team officials.

Japanese Ambassador to Zambia, Akio Egawa said during a handover ceremony at the Ministry of Sports at Government Complex in Lusaka yesterday that Japan decided to make the donation because his country believed that the development of sport would significantly impact on the development of Zambia in general.

"This donation is in appreciation of commendable efforts made by the people of Zambia. Japan has been associated with the development of sports in Zambia," Egawa said.

And Sports Minister Chishimba Kambwili expressed gratitude to the Japanese Government for the continued support that Japan was rendering to Zambia in the development of sport.

Meanwhile, countries expected to participate in the Zone Six Games have started trooping into Lusaka with Botswana being the first to jet in.

Zone Six Local Organising Committee chief executive officer Bessie Chelemu named the countries that had arrived by Press time as Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique and Swaziland and that all the counties should be in latest by tomorrow.