Athletics

Malawi: Govt Commends Mncs for Malawi Sport Award Initiative – Urges Company Assist

The Malawi Authorities has hailed the Malawi Nationwide Council of Sports activities (MNCS) for its prestigious annual Malawi Sport Award initiative, describing it as a significant platform for selling sports activities excellence and instilling a hardworking spirit amongst athletes, coaches, directors, and associations.

Minister of Youth and Sports activities, Uchizi Mkandawire, made the remarks in the course of the sixth version of the Malawi Sport Award ceremony held at Sunbird Nkopola in Mangochi, the place 14 classes have been acknowledged for his or her excellent performances within the 2024 season.

Mkandawire praised MNCS for the consistency and professionalism displayed because the awards’ inception, including that the initiative is considerably contributing to the expansion of sports activities within the nation.

“As authorities, we’re excited with the management at MNCS for his or her dedication to selling sports activities. These awards function a motivational instrument, and since their introduction, there was a notable enchancment in efficiency throughout numerous sporting disciplines,” mentioned Mkandawire.

The Minister, nonetheless, acknowledged the monetary constraints dealing with the sports activities sector, saying authorities alone can’t meet the funding wants of all sporting associations. He, subsequently, appealed to the company world to associate with the federal government to uplift numerous sporting disciplines.

“We’re dedicated to offering sources and funding in direction of sports activities growth, however authorities alone can’t do every thing. We want the company world to associate with us to assist enhance sports activities in any respect ranges,” he mentioned.

He additional urged sports activities associations to reveal transparency and accountability of their operations, emphasizing that lack of seriousness and mismanagement discourages potential sponsors from investing in sports activities.

MNCS Chief Government Officer, Dr. Henry Kamata, described the 2024 awards as one of the crucial aggressive editions because of the rigorous scrutiny the nominees underwent.

Kamata highlighted the dominance of Cricket Malawi, which scooped three awards — Staff of the 12 months, Coach of the 12 months, and Affiliation of the 12 months — as a testomony to the game’s fast growth within the nation.

“Cricket’s efficiency is an indication that the game is making exceptional strides in Malawi. This could encourage different sporting disciplines to emulate their dedication and exhausting work,” mentioned Kamata.

He reiterated that MNCS stays dedicated to implementing its 4 strategic pillars: athlete growth, capability constructing for technical officers, infrastructure growth, and governance promotion.

Cricket Malawi’s Head of Operations, Arjun Menon, attributed their success to exhausting work and teamwork, pledging to take care of their momentum within the coming years.

“We’re grateful for this recognition, which is a mirrored image of our exhausting work in 2024. These awards will encourage us to do even higher in upcoming competitions,” mentioned Menon.

Among the many different notable winners was France-based girls’s soccer star, Tabitha Chawinga, who claimed each Sports activities Character of the 12 months and Sports activities Lady of the 12 months awards.