According to the country’s Sports Deputy Minister Ronald Chitotela, the company are currently the main sponsor for the Zambia delegation for Rio 2016.

They will also provide clothing for the Zambian contingent at the Games, including uniforms and sportswear.

Chitotela was full of praise for the company, who are based in Lufwanyama, a small town in the Copperbelt Province in the north-west of the African nation, for getting behind Zambia’s athletes.

He hopes other companies will follow suit and urged further investment and involvement from the private sector in order to give Zambian competitors the best possible chance of success during the Games, which run from August 5 to 21 in the Brazilian city.

“Kagem should be commended for helping Government with such an initiative because we alone cannot bear this cost,” he said.

“Apart from the $30,000 Kagem will also acquire the team’s uniforms and even sponsor members of the National Olympics Committee (NOC) who will be part of the delegation.”

Chitotela added that the Government will embrace any other stakeholders who are willing to help Zambia’s Rio 2016 effort.

It is hoped increased sponsorship for the team will enhance their prospects of earning medals.

Zambia has only ever claimed two Olympic medals.

Samuel Matete, world champion in 1991, took silver in the 400 metres hurdles at Atlanta 1996.

Their only previous podium finish before Matete’s silver came at Los Angeles 1984, where Keith Mwila became the country's first-ever Olympic medallist with silver in the light flyweight boxing division.

The African nation sent a team of seven athletes to London 2012 - three in athletics, two in swimming and one in boxing and judo.