President pledges sports academy
President Lazarus Chakwera says the Tonse Alliance administration will launch a sports academy as part of its programmes to develop sports.
He said this during the State of the Nation Address (Sona) at Parliament in Lilongwe yesterday.
The President also said his government will embark on a nationwide project to rehabilitate existing youth centres as well as constructing new sports centres, “including the national netball complex and a sports academy as promised in our manifesto”.
He said: “Simultaneously, 800 school coaches will be trained in various sports disciplines; sports competitions in all disciplines will be revived at all levels and 500 schools that teach physical education will receive support.”
Netball Association of Malawi president Khungekile Matiya said they are excited with the president’s promise to prioritise infrastructure development.
“We lack standard courts in the districts and rehabilitation of youth centres and construction of new sports centres will benefit the sport a lot.
“We are also happy that the President has committed to the netball sports complex project which we have been eagerly waiting for all these years,” she said.
On his part, Football Association of Malawi president Walter Nyamilandu said: “This is the news we want to hear and music to our ears. The State President is on point.
“We need such a centre of excellence to produce talented athletes of high calibre coaches to transform sports to become more competitive.”
Football analyst Charles Nyirenda said: “If that becomes reality, we will be delighted. Some of the plans require a lot of time and we do not know how the programmes will be priotitised.”
