Flames, Queens risk funding hitches
The Flames and the Queens might need alternative ways of accessing government funding for their 2014 foreign trips after their respective associations reportedly failed to submit their foreign exchange requirements.
Sports Council executive secretary George Jana on Friday claimed that only the Athletics Association of Malawi (AAM) submitted its foreign exchange requirements while the Malawi Olympic Committee and the Tertiary Education Schools Sports Association of Malawi (Tessam) asked for more time.
“As was clearly indicated in the letter of request for the list of activities, there was need that in the submission, there also be an indication of the amount of money the associations would require to implement the programmes and the sources of such. In this regard, none of the associations have complied,” Jana explained in a response to a questionnaire.
“Further, our letter also indicated that failure to submit or our non-receipt of the submissions would be taken to mean that the associations have no programmes that will require government’s
intervention in terms of any organisation or financing, thus the council does not expect and will not be compelled to involve herself in any international programmes that any association may henceforth have or come up with.”
Asked for the seriousness and enforcement of the council’s position, Jana on Monday insisted that they would at no cost entertain any requests on forex and funding “unless, of course, they use other channels other than the council. As for FAM, may be they did not submit because they do not have money.”
The council is the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ policy implementing arm; hence, associations access their grants through it. The Queens and the Flames have foreign assignments, including the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and the Commonwealth Games respectively.
FAM, whose general secretary Suzgo Nyirenda earlier promised to comply with council’s demand, could not be reached. But FAM president Walter Nyamilandu yesterday claimed they complied with the council, including submitting supplementary 2014/15 budgets.
The Volleyball Association of Malawi (VAM) president Jappie Mhango on Saturday said they already submitted their calendar for the current financial year and do not expect any foreign travels since the national volleyball team is out of the World Cup Africa zone qualifiers.
But Jana said even associations that will not travel this year “could still respond to advise council of their situation or position on the request. I do not think there is any harm in doing so”.
The council wrote all its 30-plus affiliated sports associations last November asking for their forex needs and also 2014 calendar of events in line with government’s austerity measures that have seen the banning of non-crucial trips.
