Football Association of Malawi (FAM) and Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) are today expected to separately meet Ministry of Youth and Sports in Lilongwe to discuss issues related to budget and policies.
The meetings come amid concerns from the associations on shrinking funding towards their programmes which has affected the performance of national teams the Flames and , Scorchers.
For the past four years funding towards sports in general has dwindled and often the two associations’ budgets are cut by over 80 percent.
Ministry of Youth and Sports spokesperson MacMillan Mwale said the meetings have been arranged in response to a number of “pertinent issues the two associations have raised recently”.
He said: “I can confirm there is indeed a meeting that is aimed at discussing a number of issues including the budget.
“The two associations have also been requesting for an audience with the minister to discuss some pertinent issues and this meeting offers that opportunity.
“I cannot preempt the issues on the agenda. But in short, the ministry will give policy direction to all issues that the associations have raised and also respond to some requests made by the associations.”
Some of the issues to take centrestage during the meetings, which Minister of Youth and Sports Uchizi Mkandawire will attend, include national teams funding and the hosting of international competitions.
NAM general secretary Yamikani Khungwa Kauma said the meeting will provide them an opportunity to lobby for more funding for the association’s activities.
She said: “This year, NAM has a lot of activities to be done which need government support and funding.”
Kauma said some of the programmes include the Queens rebuilding process which will involve scouting for tall players, capacity building for coaches, umpires training both locally and internationally and friendly games for both senior and junior teams.
NAM will also lobby for more funding for Malawi’s participation in World Netball Youth Cup to be held in Gibraltar as well as hosting of Africa Netball Championship.
Kauma said they will also update the ministry on the association’s constitutional review as well as elections.
She said: “All these commitments will rely on funding from the government.”
On his part, FAM competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka said the meeting is an opportunity to brief government on the association’s programmes for the year.
Some of the programmes included Flames’ participation in 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers as well as women’s football national teams upcoming assignments.
Malawi face Congo in the first round of Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers while the Under-20 women’s football team will face Central African Republic in Fifa Under-20 Women’s Football World Cup qualifiers.
FAM president Fleetwood Haiya recently said the association would like government to fund them directly and not through Malawi National Council of Sports.
Mwale said the meeting is an opportunity for the ministry to offer direction for the proposal since it would involve Treasury and other relevant authorities.
He said: “This is why this meeting is crucial.”
