At least 180 athletes from 14 sporting codes were expected to go into camp yesterday in Lilongwe as part of preparations for the 2026 African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Youth Games, scheduled for Maputo, Mozambique, in December.
Sports Council acting chief executive officer Ivy Chinangwa said in a statement that the two-week Malawi Sports Development Camp will run up to August 22.
A total of 180 athletes drawn from 14 sporting codes will participate in the two-week residential camp.
‘The programme is designed to assess athletes’ technical, tactical and physical performance while providing coaches with an opportunity to evaluate progress and identify the final squad that will represent Malawi at the regional games,” she said.
Chinangwa added that training sessions will be conducted at various venues in Lilongwe, including Bingu National Stadium, Civo Stadium, Bishop Mackenzie International School, Nalikule College, and the Presidential Villas.
The upcoming camp follows two successful talent identification and selection camps that were held in December 2025 at the Malawi University of Science and Technology and April 2026 at Lilongwe Girls Secondary School.
“These camps formed part of Sports Council’s long-term athlete development programme aimed at preparing a competitive team for the Region 5 Youth Games,” she said.
Team Malawi is expected to compete in 14 sporting codes namely: football, netball, basketball, volleyball, lawn tennis, table tennis, judo, taekwondo, karate, boxing, athletics, Special Olympics, para-athletics and swimming.
In the statement, Sports Council says it remains committed to creating an enabling environment for athletes to excel through structured preparation and high-performance programmes.
“Sports Council is confident that the comprehensive training programme will enhance Team Malawi’s readiness and competitiveness at the games,” reads the statement.
In an interview, the Malawi Under-17 Girls National Football Team coach Linda Kasenda said they are ready for the camping.
“As we draw closer to the Games, the focus is on tactics and combinations, but we will also touch on physical,” she said.
