30 Malawi athletes return empty-handed from Glasgow
Some 30 athletes, eight sports codes, 41 attempts and no single medal won sum up Team Malawi performance at the 2014 Glasgow XX Commonwealth Games which ended on Sunday in Scotland.
Despite the Malawi Olympic Committee’s (MOC) bring-a-medal campaign, with prizes such as K500 000 (about $1 315) at stake, the Malawi Queens were the relative stand-out performers as they retained their Africa’s number one position and fifth in the world.
The target in Glasgow was for the Queens to break into the top-four, but the Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) president Rosy Chinunda on Wednesday told MBC Radio 2 that: “We are not worried. It could have been a big issue if we had failed to defend our top-five position.”
The rest of the athletes such as runners, who competed from July 23 to August 3 alongside other 4 910 athletes from 70 countries in 18 disciplines merely bettered their personal best times. Sports experts such as Augustine Banda Junior insists long-term athletes development programme is the only surest way to achieving medals.
Swimmer Joyce Tafatatha managed to win a heat while the likes of Treza Master bettered their records. Historically, Malawi has three medals in Commonwealth Games appearances since 1970. Mozambique, Zambia and Botswana won medals in Glasgow.
Athletics Association of Malawi president Godfrey Phiri yesterday painted a bright picture on the performance of athletes such as Francis Khanje, Faith Labana, Chancy Master, Kefasi Chitsala and Golden Gunde.
“Look at the time that Golden Gunde achieved. So nice. Treza Master did very well. Given enough time to prepare or put them in camp, they can do better. They all have set new records. This is a start. I will not sleep until we bring medals from international games,” said Phiri.
Malawi Aquatic Union president Dean Pinto, whose body embraces all water sports events, yesterday said: “We have the talent but not organised well enough to achieve it as there is always a problem of some sort—money, equipment, facilities. Who do you blame? Ourselves and a no-system environment,” Pinto explained, adding that swimmers need year-long training of 10 km per week to win medals.
At the end of the games, England topped the team chart with 174 medals whereas South Africa were seventh in the Commonwealth and number one in Africa followed on the continent by Nigeria at eight on the chart and second in Africa. Kenya finished ninth on the world ladder and third on the continent.
John Kaputa, Malawi team general manager in Glasgow, did not pick Weekend Nation’s call on Thursday whereas MOC president Oscar Kanjala and general secretary Jappie Mhango could not be reached.
Before the Commonwealth Games, Team Malawi won silver through lawn tennis whiz-kid Chisomo Lumeta at the 2nd African Youth Games in Botswana.
“MOC is very proud of the performance of athletes and having qualified to participate in the worldwide events in China. What remains is for our associations to keep on training the athletes,” wrote MOC’s website in June.
FACT FILE:
Malawi Commonwealth Games squad
Athletics:
Francis Khanje, Treza Master, Chancy Master, Kefasi Chitsala, Golden Gunde, Faith Labana; Swimmers: Kristie Millar, Joyce Tafatatha; Cyclists; Leonard Tsoyo, Missi Kathumba; Weightlifters: Brito Mota, John Phiri; boxers: Steven Thanki, Chikondi Makawa; Table tennis: Abel Nsomba, Stewart Hara; Judo: Emmanuel Ndawu, Alfred Linguni; Netball: 12 players.
