Govt to establish sports academy
Govt to establish sports academy
Amid sports associations’ concern about inadequate funding,Ministry of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development, has embarked on an ambitious plan to establish a sports academy in a bid to enhance sports development in the country.
Sports associations took turns to express their concern over inadequate funding from government during a meeting convened by the ministry three weeks ago.
A high-powered delegation from the ministry—director of sports Jamieson Ndalama and Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS)—board chairperson James Chuma, chairperson of marketing committee Gladson Kuyeri, executive secretary George Jana, administration manager Henry Mereka and sports development officer Ruth Mzengo—went to Kenya a week ago on a study tour.
Minister of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development Grace Chiumia said the government has initiated plans to establish the sports academy involving a number of sports disciplines.
“What we want is for our athletes to nurture their talent while they are young not when they are old,” she said.
“We [The Ministry of Labour and Sports] will work together with the Ministry of Education Science and Technology because the issue of education will be taken seriously.”
But the minister declined to disclose cost implication of the project, saying it is too early to talk about that.
“We are currently consulting on how best it can be done. So we will be able to come up figures,” she said.
Jana said apart from improving sports development it would also act as standard bearer to regulate other sports academies.
“It will be done and is very sustainable. It’s not as expensive as people think as in Kenya they started by offering no accommodation to the athletes. It’s just transport and the cost of feeding them,” he said.
But the executive secretary said one of the conditions for the athletes to qualify will be their interest in education.
“We be will strict on education. We want to have athletes who will also take their educations seriously apart from sports just as it is the case elsewhere,” he said.
The executive secretary said after consultations the academy will start in the 2019/20 financial year.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Walter Nyamilandu applauded the government for the move saying it will also benefit the association.
“It’s this kind of strategic intervention that is required to transform Malawi football. The football academies are an essential enabler to the development of football in the country because we stand a very good chance of producing players of world class standard,” he said.
Nyamilandu said the association’s plans to establish a football academy in Blantyre are at an advanced stage.
“Our plans are at a very advanced stage to roll out a non-residential academy in Blantyre to kick-start the process of creating centres of football excellence in the country,” he said.
Athletics Association of Malawi (AAM) president also commended the ministry for the initiative saying it will help develop athletics.
