HAM finds sponsor for stadium construction
Hockey Association of Malawi (HAM) has identified a sponsor to help them construct stands and a perimeter brick fence around their stadium site at Kamuzu Upper Stadium along Masauko Chipembere Highway in Blantyre.
However, HAM general secretary Krishna Achuthan said the sponsor’s identities would be kept under wraps until the two parties sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) this February.
“We would like to establish a hockey centre which will be done in phases. The fence would be complete by end of this year, then we will start erecting stands. A certain company has offered to help us in these two specific areas,” said Achuthan.
According to HAM vice-president Dean Pinto, the entire stadium project is expected to be complete in five years.
The project started early 2010 and was initially planned to be complete by March this year but it has not worked because of financial constraints.
By then, the budget for the infrastructure was estimated at K100 million (about $294 117), but now the budget will need to be reviewed and the figures are likely to multiply due to the devaluation of the kwacha.
The stadium project began with the erection of a brick fence, but it went to sleep after the Blantyre City Council ordered them to replace the wall with a grilled one to match the council’s architectural plans for enclosures along the highway.
Malawi does not have hockey infrastructure for training sessions and games. Local teams train and play matches on natural grass while international competitions are only conducted on artificial turfs.
