Sports initiative takes new turn

Malawi Government has reached an agreement with SureStream Company to accommodate football and netball talent identified from the Presidential Initiative for Sports (PIS) in academies the company intends to establish in the country.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Sports Alex Mseka disclosed this on the sidelines of an announcement on Monday that the launch of the 2012 Presidential Initiative for Sports has been slated for next week at Kamuzu Stadium.

Mseka said football and netball have not fully exploited talent identified from the rural areas due to lack of academies.

“Associations have struggled to develop talent, so the only way to go is establish sports academies. By the end of the programme, we would have established the academies and go into full-time talent development. We will later extend it to other sporting disciplines,” he said adding that officials from his ministry were expected to finalise the agreement with SureStream on Tuesday.

Last December, SureStream, a company that intends to explore petroleum in Lake Malawi, indicated that it would establish four football academies across the country.

FAM technical director Jack Chamangwana said FAM’s and clubs’ lack of funds has contributed to the failure of nurturing PIS talent.

“As FAM, we have been harbouring ambitions of establishing an academy, but we had no funds. And Super League clubs have been reluctant to rope in talent from rural areas because they say it is expensive to develop that talent as most have no sponsors. So, these academies will really help us,” said Chamangwana.

Bullets FC defender Yamikani Fodya is so far the only player who has graduated properly after being identified in the inaugural year of the initiative in 2009.

After struggling in the first two years of the project, netball seems to be on the right track with 10 players emerging from the initiative last year and have joined top teams.

“The main revelation was Joyce Mvula who plays for Blue Eagles Sisters and was part of the national team that went to Singapore for the Netball World Cup. We are happy that teams have now opened up and are recruiting young girls identified in the project and we expect more this year,” said NAM president Rosy Chinunda.

Although NAM and FAM have struggled to identify talent, some minority sports associations such as tennis, boxing and basketball have done it easily as evidenced by increased number of athletes who are now excelling in those disciplines.

“In the past two years, youngsters identified through the initiative have won gold at youth competitions in southern Africa. Chisomo Lumeta who is currently on a scholarship in South Africa is a product of the initiative,” said Lawn Tennis head coach Thomson Mtengula.

Meanwhile, President Bingu wa Mutharika is expected to grace this year’s relaunch on February 11. The President graced the inaugural launch and the finals in 2009, but was absent at the 2010 and 2011 finals.

The relaunch ceremony will be highlighted by games between Super League champions Silver Strikers and PIS defending champions Wanderers FC whereas in netball, Bingu Tigresses will play Escom Sisters.

The PIS sponsorship is worth K120 million (about $720 000) —K60 million for football, K30 million ($360 000) for netball and the rest of the disciplines sharing K30 million ($180 000).