Minister unveils sports development blueprint
Minister of Youth and Sports Ulemu Msungama yesterday unveiled his vision for sports development, pledging to speed up the national policy review and formulate a commercialisation strategy.
The plan also seeks to revise the operations of Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS).
The minister unveiled the blueprint at a press conference in Lilongwe yesterday where he said he will ensure that a youth centre is constructed in Lilongwe and later in the other districts.
Msungama said the current National Sports Policy, effected in 2009, is outdated and needs to be reviewed.
“This is a very critical document if we are to develop sports in this country. The policy in use is also outdated. I would like as a ministry to move with speed on reviewing the sports policy. I want to see that we have taken steps to review the policy,” he said.
The MNCS operates under an Act of Parliament of 1973 which Msungama said has never been revised.
“There are some things in it that are outdated; hence, the need to review to be in line with current trends,” he said.
On sports commercialisation strategy, the minister said it will help sports associations that represent different codes to be able to create wealth without relying on solely government resources.
He said: “Sports is developed by companies and private institutions when it is run as a business. We cannot do that in Malawi now as there is no strategy that can take us there.
“I now want to challenge ourselves through Sports Council and all our stakeholders that we have to drive the sports commercialisation process.”
On this, Msungama urged sports associations to be strategic and aim to succeed.
“For those committee members running associations, let them have visions and dreams not to enrich themselves but to develop sports. Let them think outside the box to generate resources,” he said.
In reaction to the vision, Netball Association of Malawi general secretary Carol Bapu said her organisation is optimistic it will help empower them to achieve commercialisation and growth.
“We are already adopting the commercialisation agenda and we believe the strategies the ministry will embark on will empower us to achieve more and develop as a sport, ” she said.
