Sports Council lifts suspension of sporting activities

The passionate sportsman laid to rest yesterday 

* Your solidarity and support during this time of national grief have been invaluable

* As we resume our sporting endeavours, let us continue to honour the memory and legacy of those we have lost

* By embodying the spirit of peace, unity and excellence in our sporting activities

By Duncan Mlanjira

Malawi National Council of Sports has lifted the temporary suspension of sporting activities which it advised associations to do so in order to honour the mourning period till the burial of late Vice-President Saulos Chilima and the eight others.

In its statement issued today, June 18, Sports Council says it extends its “deepest gratitude to all sporting associations and affiliates for their respectful observance of the guidance to suspend all sporting activities”.

“Your solidarity and support during this time of national grief have been invaluable. As we resume our sporting endeavours, let us continue to honour the memory and legacy of those we have lost by embodying the spirit of peace, unity and excellence in our sporting activities.

“May their souls continue resting in eternal peace,” said the statement from Sports Council Chief Executive Officer, Henry Kamata.

Following the advice to suspend the sporting activities, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) withdrew Malawi national team’s participation at the COSAFA 2024 tournament in respect to the sorrowful atmosphere as a result of the tragedy that befell the country.

A statement from FAM said last week that this was subsequent to the 21-day mourning period declared by President Lazarus Chakwera, saying “FAM highly considered it insensitive to proceed with our preparations and subsequent participation in the championship”.

The official draw of the COSAFA Cup 2024 was concluded on Friday, June 14 in Johannesburg, South Africa in which the organisers indicated that a substitute team to replace Malawi in Group B would be announced later.

There are three groups of 12 nations to mark the 23rd edition of the regional competition and will see the reigning champions Zambia looking to defend their title and extend their record as the team with the most COSAFA titles.

Group A has South Africa, Mozambique, eSwatini, Botswana; B has Zambia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and the substitute team while Group C comprise Angola, Namibia, Comoros and Seychelles.

Also postponed till a later date is the annual Standard Bank Be More Race, which was scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 15 and as was his tradition, Chilima could have participated in it as he had done in previous editions.

The Be More Race is also Standard Bank Plc flagship charity event and this year’s is towards supporting the children’s Cancer Learning Centre of the Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Lilongwe.

Speaking at Bingu National Stadium during the first city aerobics session in preparation for the main race, Head of Brand & Marketing, Tamanda Ng’ombe said by supporting KCH’s learning centre at KCH’s children’s cancer ward, the Bank is fulfilling its traditional role of channelling proceeds from the race towards the country’s education sector.

“Traditionally, funds raised from the race go towards supporting education in the formal sector,” she said. “After recent years of successfully partnering the Ministry of Education to support education, we have decided to support the education of children undergoing cancer treatment and rehabilitation at Kamuzu Central Hospital.

“Their learning centre lacks learning resources, and we have seen it fit to intervene by using our annual race as a fund-raising platform.

Launched in 2017 as flagship athletics and wellness event to engage existing and potential customers, key stakeholders, and communities — through a key uniting passion point; sport — the Be More Race had a two-year break following the CoVID-19 pandemic.

And on its return in 2022, it was celebrated under the theme ‘Road 2 Recovery’ and was also used to raise funds to support academic pursuit for the girl-child at Lilongwe Girls Secondary School through construction of hostels.

Last year’s edition, under the theme ‘Level Up’, aimed to motivate Malawians to exert themselves further to achieve wellness and good health and to challenge people to achieve more as Malawi was recovering from the devastating effects of Cyclone Freddy-induced flood disaster — which resonated with President Lazarus Chakwera’s #Operation Tigwirane Manja#.

The theme of this year’s race is ‘Why We Run’, which urges marathon enthusiasts to join the race with an underlying motivation to assist with educating children suffering from cancer.