Volleyball teams boycott Kamuzu Barracks fixtures

Teams in the Sempha Investment Central Region Volleyball League (CRVL) are boycotting fixtures against Kamuzu Barracks (KB) to force the team to apologise for unsporting behaviour.

Some of KB players assaulted Mipuniro Spikers’ supporter during the 2017 league prize presentation and the teams are demanding an apology from the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) outfit

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On weekend, KB collected full points at Lilongwe Community Centre after Lilongwe Spikers and Bunda Dragons shunned the fixtures, joining Mipuniro Spikers, who started the boycott.

Bunda Dragons chairperson Lameck Fiwa said the boycott is demonstration that volleyball is a violent-free sport.

“We are demonstrating a sportsmanship and trying to promote a violent-free sport. KB should take responsibility of what they did and apologise,” he said.

Mipuniro Spikers chairperson Adam Benesi said they fear for their safety.

“Our worry is that this is not the first time KB has been involved in violent behaviour. Last time, one of their officials slapped a scorer during games. For how long are we going to be abused by the same team? Does that mean other teams don’t have grievances? We need an assurance and an apology for these uncivilised acts,” he said.

CRVL Robert White confirmed the boycott and described it as unfortunate.

“No team has written us to say that they will boycott games. The apology and boycott was at one point mentioned in our discussions on addressing violence by the league, but never officially by the teams to the league.

“We know they are saying it’s their constitutional right to boycott, but each right has a responsibility. And in exercising that right, if it happens that they violate rules of the league, then action has to be taken,” he said.

KB captain Macgodwin Mangani said they already took action against those involved in the act.

“As a team, we were banned from participating at Vale National tournament as a punishment, and the players who were directly involved are currently serving a one-year ban, so we don’t know why now the teams are doing this,” he said.

Volleyball Association of Malawi (VAM) overruled the CRVL’s one year ban imposed on KB, and reduced it to one game.