Malawi misses IOC Covid-19 relief

Malawi will miss the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) relief package the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has offered member association to cushion the economic impact caused by the global pandemic.

IOC has increased budget subsidies for National Olympic Committees from $46.7 million to $57 million to help them cushion the impact of the (Covid-19) pandemic.

The $10.3 million additional fund will help IOC affiliates to prepare for the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games which were shifted from this year due to the pandemic.

However in an interview, MOC administration manager Naomi Chinatu said Malawi will not benefit from the funding as it does not have elite athletes expected to qualify for the games.

“It is not automatic that each and every association will receive because it is based on performance of athletes. Our athletes may not be considered, but if the women’s football team had progressed they could have had a chance to get the funding, she said.

Malawi national women’s football team, The Scorchers, thrashed Mozambique 14-1 on aggregate in the preliminary round of the Olympic qualifiers but did not progress after losing to Kenya 6-3 on aggregate.

Chinatu said Malawi could have benefited from refugees funding.

“We applied for funding for judo refugees at Dzaleka, unfortunately we were not successful because they also look at other factors such as performance,” she said.

MOC has attributed Malawi’s failure to qualify for the grant to associations lack of capacity to groom athletes to compete at high level.

“We tried our best to support associations, but for example if our boxers failed to win not even one bout during the qualifiers in Senegal what else can we do.?

“What is remaining for boxers is world championship, but if they failed at regional level what can we expect at world competition? Chinatu said.

She said so far Malawi has female judo athlete Harriet Boniface, male judo athlete Chikondi Kathewera and Arenao David in archery on Olympic Scholarship since 2017 in preparations for the Games.

They receive $1 000 (about K740 000) each monthly for accommodation, upkeep allowance and travel expenses.

“We also applied scholarships for swimming and athletics, but Olympic Solidarity consults their international federations who recommend depending on their performance (time). Athletics and swimming did not qualify, she said.

A press statement from IOC reads: “To respond to the specific needs incurred by the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Olympic Solidarity has increased budget allocated to the programme named IOC Subsidies for Participation of National Olympic Committees in the Olympic Games from $46.7 million to $57 million.

“This additional budget will allow Olympic Solidarity to make available additional funds related to exceptional Games-related costs incurred by NOCs due to the postponement of the Tokyo Games. These additional funds will be available to NOCs based on their application.”

In an interview, AAM general secretary Frank Chitembeya said it is a challenge for the association to produce elite athletes in the absence of adequate financial support. n

pandemic.

“We have resumed training and hopefully the league will resume next month, he said.

Madinga also said the resumption of training is a relief as the club had also suspended paying players wages, but he did not give more details.

According to www.agenda.ge, matches in Georgian national football leagues were suspended on March 11 as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus outbreak.

It stated that the Georgian Football Federation (GFF)was taking the measure in accordance to its high priority of players’ and supporters’ health.

The decision affected tournaments under the GFF banner the National League, Leagues 2 and 3 as well as youth championships.

In the National League, the primary club competition, teams had been set to play matchday 3 fixtures on March 11 and 12.

Gori spotted Madinga through their agent Avi Zioni after reportedly watching him play for Malawi Under-20 national team at the Cosafa Championship in Zambia last year.

He has joined Gori alongside the likes of 25-year-old midfielder Marco Summer.

Madinga was, alongside Vincent Nyangulu and Babatunde Adepoju and Felix Zulu, among few bright lights in a hugely underperforming Wanderers side that finished the 2019 season trophy-less.

The season in Georgia runs from March 1 to December 31.

Based in Gori, the club which compete in Uefa Champions League, was established in 1949 and won its first ever league championship in 2015. Georgia was part of Soviet Union but gained independence in the 1980s. Georgia FA became Fifa member in 1992.