* I am very thankful to the President of Malawi and the Sports Council because of the effort they made to make this come home
* Tabitha was not available during the awards gala night in Harare due to club commitments but was represented by Malawi delegation led by Sports Minister Mkandawire
By Dan Mhango, MANA
Malawi’s celebrated women soccer player, Tabitha TC11 Chawinga, has been officially presented the Sportswoman of the Year accolade she attained at the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5, Regional Annual Sports Awards (RASA) in Zimbabwe last month in Lilongwe today by Minister of Youth and Sports, Uchizi Mkandawire.
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Tabitha was not available during the gala night in Harare due to club commitments but was represented by Malawi delegation led by Minister Mkandawire and during the ceremony at Bingu National Stadium, she said she was overjoyed at being officially decorated with the prestigious award and pleaded with upcoming young players to carry the Malawian flag and represent the nation with great prowess.
“I am very thankful to the President of Malawi and the Sports Council because of the effort they made to make this come home. This award is not just for me, it’s for the whole country of Malawi and to all my fans out there,” she declared.
On his part, Minister Mkandawire described the accolade as a recognition of Malawi’s sports, saying it is moving in the right direction: “We’ve never had a chance of getting recognition at the RASA ceremony, but this year we managed to get one and that was because of Tabitha Chawinga.”
The Minister added that the government is committed to supporting sports initiatives, which have been included in the country’s national budget, especially sports disciplines that have been struggling for some time.
Malawi National Council of Sports Board chairperson, Sunduzwayo Madise said the moment should serve as a motivation and encouragement to all young athletes across the country — especially those to take part in this year’s 11th AUSC Region 5 Youth Games in Windhoek, Namibia.
Malawi’s youth team and officials pose for a group photo with Tabitha
“Tabitha’s reputation has greatly influenced many people and has encouraged many young people,” Madise said, adding that the Ministry of Sports would, for the first time in history, send 165 athletes to the AUSC.
“I believe that awards like these are very encouraging and I believe that this year we are going to come back home with a great number of medals. But besides the medals, these games are created so that the youths should also network and learn from each other,” Madise said.
The RASA Sportswoman of the Year accolade recognises Tabitha for her outstanding prowess in soccer, her skills and dedication inspiring aspiring female footballers across the region.
It followed the women’s football star’s recognition as Sportswoman of the Year at the prestigious Malawi Sport Awards held at Sunbird Nkopola in Mangochi on February 28 — that earned her the nomination for the RASA.
Malawi’s other individual nominees for the RASA were Moses Misoya (Sportsman of the Year with a Disability) and Taonele Banda (Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability) while the Malawi U-19 Girls cricket national team were nominated for Team of the Year.—Edited by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
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