3 athletes leave for Morocco World Para Athletics qualifiers

 Three athletes Mphatso Saukira, Moses Misoya and Taonele Banda leave tomorrow for Marrakech, Morocco to participate in a three-day World Para Athletics Grandprix qualifiers.

The games, which run from April 26 to 28, are qualifiers for the Paris 2024 World Paralympic competition set for August in France.

The athletes have been in camp for two weeks at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe under coach Agnes Chikwawa Jamali.

Saukira, who will be in category T12, will compete in 200metres (m) and 1500m, Misoya, in T13 category, will compete in 200m and 400m while Banda who is the only female athlete, will be in T13 category and will contest in 400m and 1500 meters.

In an interview, coach Chikwawa Jamali said the athletes are geared for the games.

“The athletes have responded positively to the training which gives us hope that they will get results,” she said.

On her part, Banda promised to bring smiles to the country.

“We promise to raise the Malawi flag in Morocco since it is now our time to pay back to the nation,” she said.

Malawi Paralympic Committee president James Chiutsi thanked the Malawi Government for funding the trip.

He said: “Let me thank the government and also the International Paralympic committee and our sponsor K2 Transformers. The trip is costing us K26 million which was contributed by these parties.

“K2 Transformers also funded our two-week camp. They have also contributed K1 million towards Athletes’ welfare and we are very grateful.