Perform well and dine with Chakwera, Region 5 athletes told

Malawian athletes are expected to have an audience with President Lazarus Chakwera, if they perform well at the 10th edition of the African Union Sports Council – AUSC Region 5 Youth Games.

Sports Minister Richard Chimwendo Banda believes this is one way of motivating the junior sports men and women to work extra hard at the event.

The games are set to start Friday December 2 and end on December 11 in Lilongwe.

Chimwendo Banda has urged local athletes to perform well.

“The President can always do that. He has hosted national teams before. If they (young athletes) get more medals that is an opportunity for them to attract the invitation but he (Chakwera) is the father to them and when it pleases him after we make a request he can host them.” Chimwendo Banda stressed.

Meanwhile, Sunduzwayo Madise who is the Board Chairperson of the Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS), is assuring the citizenry that preparations are almost complete.

“We are set to go. Everything that was expected to be done has been completed. We call on Malawians to come in large numbers to all the venues earmarked for the games,” said Madise.

While indicating that he would want to see more trophies from the local athletes, the MNCS chairperson has however stressed that the government is not giving pressure to the young athletes arguing that they are still learning.

At the previous Region 5 Games in Maseru-Lesotho, Malawi won 29 medals.

In Lilongwe, Malawi will be represented by 227 athletes who will compete in netball, basketball, volleyball, taekwondo, athletics, judo, boxing, tennis, swimming as well as football for both men and women.

Apart from the host nation, the competition will also have Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Angola, Botswana, South Africa and Namibia as member states, while Seychelles and Mauritius are guest countries.