Games postponed
Mutharika died last Thursday in Lilongwe and government has declared 10 days of mourning.
Sports Council executive secretary George Jana said following government’s announcement on the loss of the President, the council, in consultation with the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports, has postponed all sporting activities.
“We cannot have games when we are mourning. Sports is all about celebration and, therefore, it is only proper that all sporting activities should be put on hold until the mourning period is over,” Jana said Saturday.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Walter Nyamilandu said: “We are a country in mourning and as per tradition, we have declared that there will be no major football games until the mourning period is over.”
Consequently, the Fellowship Association of Malawi (Fama) on Saturday postponed its bonanza final match between Blue Eagles and Big Bullets scheduled to take place yesterday at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe.
Fama bonanza organising secretary Japhet Majekete said they have postponed the finals in respect of the former Head of State.
“We are a religious grouping, so on humanitarian grounds, we have called off the game and we will be issuing a press statement on Monday on the way forward,” said Majekete.
The games between visiting Mozambican team CD Matchedje and Blantyre United and Mighty Wanderers that were scheduled for yesterday and this afternoon respectively, have also been cancelled.
Blantyre United chairperson Lawson Nakoma said they had no choice but to postpone the games in view of the development.
“Going by our culture we have to respect and mourn with the Mutharika family as well as the rest of the nation, so the games are off,” said Nakoma.
Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) also called off all its Presidential Cup games in honour of Mutharika.
