BolaNews' writer and editor scoops Zambia's top journalism award

Calvin Kaumba Chikenge(R) receiving his award for the best Journalist of the year during the 2023/24 MTN/FAZ Super League awards at the Mulungushi conference center in Lusaka. (Photo via FAZ media)

BolaNews writer and editor, Calvin Kaumba Chikenge, was named the best football journalist of the year on Friday night at the MTN/FAZ awards in Lusaka.

The Zambia Daily Mail’s Ndinawe Simpelwe, Godfrey Dube of News Diggers, Darious Kapembwa of the Mast Newspaper, Chansa Kunda of ZNBC, Virgiania Chilongo of Muvi TV, Cosmas Mulenga of Diamond TV, Michael Miyoba of Zambia Daily Nation, and Aaron Mubanga of Zamfoot were the other nine sports journalists nominated for the inaugural award.

Your support has earned us this award. 🙏🏽

We started @bolanewsco with the aim of providing information about Zambian football in real time. I am proud to say we have reached over 1 million readers.

This is a win for all of us online journalists, who rarely get recognised. pic.twitter.com/BILTBhH8TV
— Calvin Kaumba Chikenge (@CalvinChikenge) June 29, 2024

The 27-year-old began his career as an intern at the Zambia Daily Mail Newspaper before joining Spring TV, where he focused on sports reporting. His career has been remarkable, delivering breaking stories and exclusive interviews.

He has headed BolaNews from its start, gaining hundreds of followers, including over a million readers, in the last year while advocating coverage of the Zambian Super League and international matches.

Chikenge also writes for several international media outlets, including British newspaper, The Guardian, where he delivers feature stories on various aspects of Zambian football.