Malawi wins African Draughts hosting rights again
Malawi has successively won the hosting rights of the African Draughts-64 Championship after Madalitso Thom Baba emerged as the best African player during World Draughts Championship in Russia last month.
However, according to an endorsement and hosting budget guarantor letter from the African Draughts Federation (ADF) to Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS), the country risks losing the rights to Ethiopia if Association of Draughts in Malawi (Adma) fails to raise half of the required K7 million budget at least two months before the second edition of the continental event scheduled for July 9-14 2018.
as other officials look on
“We kindly request your good office to write to ourselves in endorsement and financial guarantor, as a requisite enabler, that your nation through Adma will be able to successfully host the Championship,” reads the letter signed by ADF secretary general Thomas Njanike.
Malawi lost the hosting rights of the inaugural championship to Zambia last year due to failure to meet a minimum budget of K4 million.
Then, the country was selected to host the event after Enock Makoka-Banda finished as Africa’s best performer at the 2015 World Draughts Championship in Russia.
As hosts of the forthcoming 10-nation competition, Malawi is supposed to pay for food and accommodation to the ADF president, vice-president, secretary-general, secretary for international affairs, treasurer and a single player from each participating country, including the reigning African champion grandmaster (GM) Richard Mwamba from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
MNCS executive secretary George Jana said government will support the country’s hosting of the event but asked if ADF could shift dates to at least the end of July 2018 due to other logistics.
On his part, Adma general secretary Suzgo Nkhoma said: “Engaging government in the first place is the way to go to fulfil our wish to host the event. Last year, we suffered embarrassment because we relied so much on corporate support, which was not forthcoming.”
Meanwhile, Baba on Friday presented his trophy to Jana and MNCS sports development officer Ruth Mzengo in Blantyre.
He was accompanied by Nkhoma and Adma president Misheck Munthali.
