President Lazarus Chakwera has urged the youth that will participate in the forthcoming 11th African Union Sports Council (Ausc) Regional 5 youth games to have self-belief and seize the moment by striving to bring more medals home.
He made the remarks at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on Monday during a send-off ceremony for 165 young athletes who will represent Malawi in various sporting disciplines in Windhoek, Namibia.
The President told the athletes that their victory should not be determined by their physical size, strength and appearance, but their determination, courage and inner spirit.
“It is not the dog in the fight that determines the victory, but the fight in the dog,” said Chakwera.
He also said his government will continue to support the development and promotion of all sports disciplines in the country.
“It is for this reason that my government included sports development as one of the priority areas in the Malawi 2063, under the Human Capital Development, to ensure that sports is recognised and supported like any other development sector in the country,” said Chakwera.
While noting that the performance of sporting activities has been poor for the past 20 years, the President said time has now come to address whatever factors stalled the progress of the country’s sports development.
Speaking at the same function, Malawi National Council of Sports board chairperson Sunduzwayo Madise commended government for its support to the sports development initiatives in the country.
He said in the same spirit of supporting sports development, “the young athletes are implored to be as dynamites, ready to explode on the Namibian soil and make Malawi proud”.
Representing the athletes, Pempho Datchi pledged to compete with heart, courage and discipline to raise the Malawi flag high.
“We are going to represent our families, our communities and our nation. We are going as proud sons and daughters of Malawi, ready to compete,” he said.
“This year’s theme, own your moment, speaks directly to us, it reminds us that our time is now, it is our moment to rise and show Malawi what Malawian youths are made of.”
Malawi will compete in basketball, judo, swimming, football, e-sports, among others. The games will run from July 4 to 13.
