President of the Republic of Malawi, I would realise that while it is quite commendable to hail the national football and netball teams for winning highly significant matches at the weekend, I can do much better to ensure that the teams touch lofty heights.

If I were APM, I surely would realise that talk is cheap and saluting the teams from the comfort of my hotel room in Washington DC without tangible action to enable the two teams to do better is not enough.

Yes, Your Excellency, while we appreciate that you followed the games with ‘keen interest’, if I were you, I would be keen enough to find out from the line minister the challenges that the national teams face that hinder their progress.

For instance, if I were the professor, I would do something to improve the two teams’ funding which is usually far too little to enable them to prepare well for big competitions such as the World Cup, Africa Cup of Nations, World Netball Championship and Commonwealth Games.

If I were the President, I would realise that government’s pledge to remain committed to supporting the Flames and Queens does not make sense when they are allocated only 14 percent of their required budget.

That is if only I were APM. Unfortunately, I am not the president, but a mere scribe who answers to the name Garry Chirwa.