Olivia Makawa traces father’s footsteps
Olivia Makawa won two races during the Malawi Schools Sports Association (Massa) Blantyre Athletics Championships at St Andrews International High School last Saturday.
The Standard Seven pupil at Chitsime Primary School in Blantyre outsmarted at least 50 contestants in the 6-10 age group to earn gold in 800 metres and 1 500 metres and a silver in 200 metres.
Coincidentally, her father Mzee Makawa, who became a long-distance runner in 1984 until his retirement in 1991, used to dominate similar events as a pupil at Makata Primary School in the late 1970s.
But this was not the first time for Olivia to make a mark in athletics. As a guest participant, she won gold in 800 metres and 1500 metres during last year’s University of Malawi Sports Association (Umsa) Games in Blantyre.
She also emerged fourth in the 2012 six-kilometre Under-17 National Cross Country Championships in Mzuzu, finishing behind experienced middle distance runners Marita Phiri, Memory Chauluka and Tamanda Pondawawo.
Her father feels that the country’s scarcity of athletics competitions for six and 14 age group is a major setback in her daughter’s success.
Blantyre District Massa chairperson Frank Mkhalipi said last Saturday’s event, which was sponsored by St Andrews High School, Universal Industries and Fattani Offset Printers, aimed at nurturing young athletes aged between six and 14.
