Athletes leave for Youth Olympic Games
Four athletes—two swimmers MacPherson Murray and Tayamika Chang’anamuno and runners Dalitso Gunde and Moneyi Chingayipe—left on Monday for Argentina for the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games scheduled for 6-18 October.
Murray will compete in 800 metres (m) freestyle and 50m freestyle while Chang’anamuno will go for 50m backstroke and 50m freestyle in swimming events, respectively.
In athletics, Gunde will race in 400m with Chingayipe competing in 3 000m and 10 kilometre road race.
Malawi Olympic Committee (MOC) spokesperson Kathryna Phiri said the association has high expectations for the athletes to do well.
“We have high expectations in these budding athletes as they also did well during the Africa Youth Games held in Algeria,” Phiri said.
Swimming coach Yona Walesi said the swimmers underwent thorough preparations ahead of the competition.
“The preparations had been good and we hope for a good performance at least improving on their records,” he said.
This will be the second edition of Youth Olympic Games since it was inaugurated in 2014 and hosted by Nanjing, China in which Malawian top-notch assistant referee, Bernadettar Kwimbira-Mzika was in the officiating panel.
Kwimbira-Mzika went on to officiate in the women’s football final match between China and Venezuela in which the hosts triumphed to win gold medal.