National Sports

Pasuwa, Mponda forego Covid-19 funds

TNM Super League champions Nyasa Big Bullets coach Callisto Pasuwa and his assistant Peter Mponda have waived their Covid-19 packages to accommodate other members of the club’s technical panel.

Besides Pasuwa and Mponda, Bullets technical panel has goalkeeper trainer Swadick Sanudi, strikers trainer Heston Munthali and newly-appointed member of the panel Fischer Kondowe.

Led by example: Pasuwa (L) and Mpondawinner

Apart from these, the TNM Super League champions also have a physical fitness trainer, team manager and kit master.

Bullets chief administration officer Albert Chigoga said Pasuwa and Mponda had to forego the Covid-19 funds to accommodate the others.

“The decision was made by the technical officials themselves [Pasuwa and Mponda] and we simply followed it. For players, it was easy because players registered were eligible to the relief fund. But for the technical panel, we were in a dilemma,” he said.

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) last week started disbursing K17.2 million to 30 players and five technical members of all Super League clubs to cushion them from the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, most of the clubs have technical panels with more than five members, leaving the clubs with the burden on picking who should benefit.

Apart from team managers, team doctors and kit masters, some clubs have head coach, more than two assistant coaches as well as departmental trainers.

The Bullets situation is also the same at Lilongwe-based giants Silver Strikers where some members were left out.

The Central Bankers have more than five members of technical panel, but only coach Daniel Kabwe, assistant coaches McDonald Yobe and McDonald Mtetemera, team manager Peter Mgangira and Sibusiso Padambo have benefited.

Silver chief executive officer Thokozani Chimbali said the other positions are temporary.

“For us we have five permanent members. Head coach, two assistant coaches, team manager and goalkeeper trainer. The rest are support staff due to the nature of their contracts,” he said.

But Chimbali said those left out would not be affected since the club was still paying their full salaries.

The case is also the same at Be Forward Wanderers where they have head coach Bob Mpinganjira, assistant coaches Oscar Kaunda and Albert Mpinganjira, goalkeeper trainer Vales Kamzere and team manager Foster Namwela.

The Nomads’ technical panel also has Joseph Kamwendo, who was appointed as technical assistant, team doctor Samuel Matukuta and a kit master.

General secretary Victor Maunde said according to FAM, only five members of the technical panel had to benefit.

FAM competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka said the association could only consider five technical members.

“You also have to consider the budget constraints. We cannot pay each club according to the size of their technical panel,” he said.

On who qualifies to get the technical panel funds, Zakazaka said it was up to the clubs since they have different classifications.

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