Sports reforms Need k36bn

Ministry of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development needs about K36 billion for various reforms in the sports sector, The Nation has established.

The ministry’s spokesperson Simon Bvundula said they were confident that most of the reforms would be achieved.

He said: “The Ministry of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development is committed to implement the reforms in the 2016/2017 financial year. The reform process is in progress and all factors being equal, the ministry will achieve more than 75 percent of the set targets.”

According to the programme of the reforms, the ministry needs about K36 billion for rehabilitating and construction of infrastructure.

The ministry also plans to introduce Sports Management and Coordination Structure at a budget of K31 million while the National Fitness Programme is pegged at K130 million.

The reforms will see the ministry establishing a National Sports Development Fund at K80 million while Incentive and Welfare Programmes for Sports Persons will require K152 million.

There are also plans to introduce Sports Marketing Department at a budget of K25 million.

But a progress report, which we have seen, shows that most of the programmes are yet to start while others are still at consultation stage.

There is also no indication where funding for most of the programmes will come from.

But Bvundula said there are no funds for some of the programmes because they were not factored in the current Budget.

“We are, however, conducting needs assessment so that we submit our requirements in the next budget. We are also targeting some development partners and potential donors to finance the renovations,” he said.

Malawi’s poor performance in sports

A research conducted by government revealed that performance in sports has been poor owing to a number of factors including the lack of funding, infrastructure and inadequate sponsors.

On national teams funding, Bvundula said: “Government has a role to play in ensuring that national teams participate competitively.  While government is doing all it can to ensure maximum funding, it is government’s expectation to see the private sector take its role. The whole reason of establishing sports marketing and research department is to ensure that sports associations are able to operate on commercial basis for sustainable income generation.”

Meanwhile, key stakeholders in the implementation, sports associations, said they are not aware of the reforms.

“We have no clue,” said Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Walter Nyamilandu.

But he said a pending meeting with Sports Minister Henry Mussa would provide a platform to present FAM’s proposal.

“Our wish list is long,” he said.

Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) president Rosy Chinunda hoped for more funding and infrastructure for netball.

She said: “We are not involved in the process. But our wish is to have adequate funding for the national teams. We would also like to see government constructing modern netball facilities in all the three regions.”n