Uchizi Mkandawire
* Swimming can be a popular sport in Malawi with its potential to develop
* We need to have a comprehensive plan which will enable us to compete at all levels
By Andrew Magombo, MANA
Minister of Youth & Sports, Uchizi Mkandawire has asked the Malawi Aquatic Union (MAU) and stakeholders to expedite talent identification exercise of young and talented swimmers along the shores of Lake Malawi.
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The Minister made call when he presided over the official launch of 2023 Malawi National Swimming Championships on Friday at Africa Bible College in Lilongwe where he highlighted that government places sport development highly in pursuit of the MW2063 development blueprint.
He emphasized that sports guarantees healthy citizens, which is key in achieving the aspirations, saying: “Swimming can be a popular sport in Malawi with its potential to develop.
“Therefore, we need to have a comprehensive plan which will enable us to compete at all levels. We have the lake as a natural swimming pool and we believe there are so many young people who are talented — hence I urge MAU and stakeholders to conduct talent identification exercise so that we can help them develop professionally.”
The Minister added that with proper professional training rendered to natural swimmers, the country will have a pool of professionals that will put Malawi on the map at continental and global levels.
He thus retaliated government’s commitment and financial support towards swimming by pledging that all national competitions will be taking place at the Aquatic Complex, which recently hosted Region 5 games.
In her remarks, MAU president Monica Chayang’anamuno said the swimming championship will be used to identify national swimming team to represent Malawi at the World Championships in Japan; in Angola for the CANA Zone 4 for 14 East African countries; the World Junior Championships and also the Olympic Games in Paris next year.
Monica Chayang’anamuno
‘’We thank government for the provision of the identification exercise along our lake because after training the naturally talented swimmers with new skills, we will have strong representation internationally,” Chayang’anamuno said.
The national swimming championships started on Thursday and concludes today, March 4, which was sponsored to a tune of K10 million — with CDH Investment Bank, Aquapure Water and City Mall among the key sponsors.
The national championship attracted eight swimming clubs and harnessed over 295 competitors of all age ranges with the youngest aged six — a new record — and the oldest at 63 years old.
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