A rigorous age-screening exercise for players to register for the FMB Under-20 League started in earnest on Tuesday at Zomba Community Centre ground.
About 60 players from teams in Zomba had their birth certificates, church identification letters and 2012 Junior Certificate identity cards, among others, screened during the exercise which took almost the whole day.
Only players born on or after January 1 1994 qualify for the competition.
National Youth Football Committee (NYFC) general secretary Joel Magola described the exercise as successful.
“Since morning we have been able to detect those that wanted to cheat. This is what brings back the development of the game and I urge their coaches to desist from such malpractice.
“If we are to move forward, we must adhere to the recommended regulations of the competition,” said Magola.
In his remarks, Zomba District Youth Football Committee (ZDYFC) chairperson Mathias Chikoti expressed gratitude to the organisers for including Zomba in the exercise.
“My committee welcomes the development because it will motivate youngsters in Zomba to showcase their talent. We lacked such sponsored competitions for the youth and FMB has to be commended for this. I urge other companies to follow suit in order to develop the game of football from the grassroots,” said Chikoti.
