PIS beach soccer starts amid controversy
Beach Soccer Malawi (BSM) has announced that the long-awaited Presidential Initiative on Sports Beach Soccer Tournament will start next week.
BSM has since called on teams to start registering immediately to be eligible for the national tournament.
In an interview on Sunday, BSM president Ken Gondwe said the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has already given their blessings for the competition to start and is ready to release the money.
Gondwe, however, could not say how much money FAM will release for the tournament.
“We have been told by FAM chief executive officer that the money released will depend on the number of teams that will be registered. We now appeal for teams to register,” said Gondwe.
He said the challenge they are facing is that due to drought in national regional tournaments, a large number of companies pulled out.
“It is like we are starting again to woo teams. With the coming in of Stadal Beach soccer tournament and now the PIS, the sport is regaining its popularity and we hope companies will now start sponsoring teams again,” he said.
But some clubs from both the Centre and South beach soccer leagues have expressed displeasure with BSM’s silence on the amount of PIS sponsorship.
“Yes, it is good news that finally we will have the PIS tournament, but I cannot understand why they are not coming into the open to say how much money has gone into the competition. Should it really be a secret? I do not think so,” said one patron who refused to be named.
Gondwe said they just relayed the message from FAM to the clubs.
In a related development, Gondwe announced that next month they plan to roll out the FAM beach soccer tournament to complement the existing tournaments.
