Zomba athletics academy offers to help harvest farmer’s maize produce at a fee to raise towards May 2 Mulanje race

* Mulanje Athletics Club’s Legend Trail Challenge is in preparation for June 20 Blantyre Marathon

* Zomba Athletics Development Centre dominated previous Mulanje preparatory race on March 28

* One athlete was selected for national team for Olympic Games trials in Lusaka, Zambia

By Duncan Mlanjira

Self-sponsored Zomba Athletics Development Centre, which dominated the 10km Legend Trail Challenge on March 18 is sourcing funds to travel and participate in the Mulanje’s second stretch of race.

They are appealing to farmers around Zomba to engage them in harvesting their maize crop at a fee to cover for the costs of travel and other logistics for the 31km and 10km races.

“All the athletes are looking forward to this second leg of the races as we prepare for the June Blantyre Marathon,” said coach and founder of Zomba Athletics Development Centre, Benedicto Makumba.

“We sat down and we thought it wise that we should ask farmers if we could assist harvesting their crops at a fee to raise funds. We also ask any wellwisher in our city to engage us for a fee-paying activity that requires group participation.

“We want to show that we are trying our best and while we need sponsorship partnership, we can assist in other people’s businesses at a fee.”

He added that they were so geared for the 31km & 10km Mhuteko Trail Challenge organised by Malawi’s international ultra marathon expert Edson Kumwamba, after dominating the first 10km race last month.

Two of Makumba’s athletes — Mphatso Nadolo and 13-year-old Fagessi Mission clinched first places in men’s and female categories.

Nadolo is also 2019 Blantyre Marathon champion and his team mate Mwai Kawaza came second while Adam Kalima was 4th.

In the men’s category, Mulanje Athletics Club took third and 5th positions through Chimbekezo Jamali and Dyson Chithwanga respectively.

Zomba also took three top 5 positions through Fagessi Mission (1st); Martha Bakili (3rd) and Janet Chidothi on 5th with Mulanje’s Doris Fisher — the 2019 Blantyre Marathon runner-up — taking second place while her club mate Gloria Adam was 4th.

Makumba, a Malawi Defence Force soldier based at Cobbe Barracks, took with him 10 athletes and is looking at accommodating more to enhance chances of dominance.

He came into the spotlight last month when he came out of his cocoon to ask for sponsorship support from well-wishers for his development academy which he founded in 2019 — grooming and nurturing up-and-coming young athletes using his own resources.

But now the academy is getting bigger in numbers — with some of his products bringing positive results such as Sunganani Namakonje, who is the 400m and 800m national champion and currently on a training program with Malawi Olympic Committee (MOC) to prepare for the forthcoming Olympic Games.

Sunganani travelled to Lusaka, Zambia last week with delegation for Olympic Games qualifying time trials and she has since returned to continue training MOC porgramme in Lilongwe.

Another is Martha Bakili, who comes on second position on 1500m and 3000m national championship while Watson Musa is a youth national champion in 100m and 200m.

These positive results has energized Makumba to enhance the talent potential that he has unearthed as others are joining having been inspired with what the academy’s members are achieving on the track as well as road races.

Makumba has been a national athlete for 22 years and was trained as coach in 2007 by renowned Malawian coaches Issac Phiri, who manages Lilongwe’s Kamuzu Institute for Sports and another veteran Mzee Makawa.

They train at Chirunga ground at Chancellor College and from the enthusiasm and favourable performances in national competitions, he has trust that they shall continue bringing medals to Zomba.

He uses part of his income as a soldier and from the houses that he lents out but asks for sponsorship in order to provide his athletes with training and competitions gear.

In his 22-year span as a national athlete, Makumba has represented Malawi in many of competitions that include the Commonwealth Games, All African Games and one Olympic Games after doing well in national championships, Southern Africa championships and Africa championships.

“I want some of my athletes to achieve the same in their lifetime and that’s why I am asking for support from well-wishers to propel these ambitious youngsters to greater heights,” said Makumba, whose academy is affiliated with Athletics Association of Malawi (AAM).

The 31km Mhuteko Trail Challenge will start off from Mombo Primary School near Chinakanaka Trading Centre along Mulanje-Thyolo Road.