Ministry u-turns on athletics feud
Ministry of Youth and Sports has bowed to World Athletics demand to intervene in the impasse between Athletics Malawi (AM) leadership and the Malawi National Council of Sports over elections.
Initially, the ministry had reservations on the demand, saying it would be construed as government interference and that Sports Council was ideal to take up the matter.
The ministry’s Principal Secretary Isaac Katopola in an interview yesterday confirmed they brought together the AM leadership and Sports Council on Monday to iron out their differences, thereby averting the risk of an international athletics ban for alleged government interference.
The development comes few weeks before the World Athletics holds its convention where, among other issues, the AM situation is expected to be discussed.
The ministry has since given the embattled AM executive committee 10 days to make recommendations on how to proceed with the body’s elective assembly.
This is the second time the athletics body and the Sports Council have engaged in talks over the polls as their first meeting over two months ago failed to yield positive results.
Said Katopola: “After the latest meeting, the onus is now on the AM leadership to plan on how we should proceed on the polls. We will wait for them to come up with the recommendations.”
Minister of Youth and Sports Uchizi Mkandawire halted the AM elective assembly with only two days to go over a month ago after the World Athletics warned that it could not recognise any polls organised by the caretaker committee the council appointed.
Among others, World Athletics also faulted Sports Council for dissolving the AM executive committee and imposing a ban on the association’s embattled president Godfrey Phiri and general secretary Frank Chitembeya.
Yesterday, Chitembeya said they are happy that they have been given the go-ahead to chart a roadmap that might lead to the polls.
“All along, this is how things were supposed to be done. We are happy and we will do the needful,” he said.
Sports Council board chairperson Sunduzwayo Madise referred the matter to Katopola.
Meanwhile, local athletes have called on the stakeholders to sort out the athletics challenges with speed as the situation is heavily impacting their careers.
In separate interviews yesterday, short-distance runner Stain Lifa, long-distance athlete Kefasi Kasiteni Chitsala and shot-put star Memory Chauluka said the AM and Sports Council’s prolonged battle is a burden.
They believe the current situation is creating further divisions in the athletics family and killing the athletes’ momentum.
Currently, the athletes are in the process of preparing for the National Track and Field Championship, which normally takes place this month or July, but, up to now, nothing is happening on the ground to show the event is on this year.
Kasiteni said: “How can we work hard when we do not see a clear future of athletics in the country? How can we be motivated when all we see is an international ban risk and uncertainty on our calendar events such as the National Track and Field champions?
“Please, tell the authorities to speed up the process of ironing out their differences because it is affecting us.”
