Team Malawi’s budget for the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Youth Games has been revised to K1 billion.
The Games are scheduled to run from Friday to December 11 at various venues in Lilongwe.
The team’s initial budget was around K970 million before being slashed to about K700 million.
The government has since approved the revised budget which caters for the team’s preparations and participation in the Games.
It also covers registration fees for the 10 sports codes which Team Malawi will compete in.
Youth and Sports Minister Richard Chimwendo Banda said they approved the revised budget to ensure Team Malawi’s successful participation in the biennial developmental competition.
“These are developmental games and it is where future athletes are nurtured. We need to raise a strong team capable of winning medals for Malawi. We are committed to improving sports in the country, hence our hosting of the Region 5 Games,” Chimwendo Banda said.
The government has since released about K500 million to Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) which is responsible for Team Malawi.
MNCS acting Executive Secretary Shephord Boma thanked the government for approving the revised budget.
“This year’s preparations have been the best. In previous years, we could only manage two camps. But this time we had three camps. This is an indication of our seriousness to excel in sports.
“We have invested a lot in the Games and our gratitude goes to the Minister of Youth and Sports [Chimwendo Banda] for taking a leading role in ensuring that Team Malawi is well looked after,” Boma said.
Team Malawi has the task of breaking its record of 29 medals set in Maseru, Lesotho, during last year’s event.
The medals comprised two gold, 10 silver and 17 bronze.
In this year’s tournament, Team Malawi will compete in 10 sporting codes of football (boys and girls), netball, volleyball, basketball, athletics, taekwondo, judo, boxing, swimming and tennis.
There will also be e-sport on a trial basis, with Malawi also participating.
Athletes from Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, eSwatini, Angola, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa are already in the country to compete for regional honours while Mauritius and Seychelles will participate as guests.
