‘No quick fix solution to winning medals’

Long-term development programmes are the only proved way of improving southern African countries’ chances of winning medals in top world competitions, Malawi National Council of Sports Board member Krishna Achuthan said yesterday.

Achuthan said this during the opening of a two-day workshop of Supreme Council of Sport in Africa Zone VI’s Sports Education and Accreditation System (Seas) Technical working group in Blantyre.

Seas is a system of training, developing and accrediting sports practitioners (coaches, administrators and technical officials) to deliver quality sport products and services.

Achuthan said only a structured, focused and professional approach towards developing and promoting sport would produce results.

“There is no quick fix solution to winning medals, you need proper development. We believe the national federations who are involved in the Seas do not compromise this believe,” he said.

Guest of honour Principal Secretary II in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Justin Saidi said governments in the Zone VI have invested a lot in the project; hence, the need to see the fruits.

Seas project manager Petro Murape said the meeting will review the 2012 score card and plan for this year.

Malawi has Martin Matululu and Georgina Msowoya as representatives of Seas which has representatives from 10 other Zone VI members.

One of the main objectives of the project is to provide recommendations to the Zone VI member-States and sport confederations and federations on how to effectively establish a regional standardised sport education and accreditation system.