Football Association of Malawi (Fam) and Malawi Schools Sports Association (Massa) have rolled out the second phase of the Fifa Football for Schools programme.
The initiative is aimed at inspiring children to learn life skills through fun football sessions.
The first phase of the programme saw over 10,000 balls being distributed to 128 schools.
Speaking during the launching ceremony of the second phase at Chichiri Education Centre in Blantyre yesterday, Fam First Vice President Madalitso Kuyera described the programme as a milestone in football development.
“This programme has been a success right from the time of its launch in November 2022. Its main goal was to teach our learners through football. As Fam, we believe that for football to be transformed, we need to promote it from the grassroots.
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“We acknowledge that for us to revive the game, we need to partner Massa so that we achieve our aim of developing our youths through the game. We need to focus on youth football in our primary schools because there is no shortcut to success. It has to start now, with us and with primary schools,” he said.
Kuyera also assured Massa on the introduction of coaches for under-15, 17 and 20 age categories as proposed by Fam’s technical committee.
“This was approved by Fam’s executive committee during its meeting. We need to go through all the steps. We should not be jumping from age 15 to the senior team. We need all these stages to be monitored so that we achieve our aims and objectives.
“Football, alongside education, can help one make it in life. That is why we want to build a strong partnership with Massa through a memorandum of understanding that is currently being developed,” he added.
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Massa President Blackson Malamula applauded the cordial relationship between the two bodies since the programme started.
“We appreciate what Fam is doing in football development. We have been receiving balls through this programme and we are very grateful. We are ready to work with any association so that we develop sports together. We are, therefore, very happy with the second phase of the programme,” Malamula said.
Some 32,660 balls were received last year, with Fam and Massa distributing the 10,000 balls for the programme, which also saw district education officers being trained to help reach out to 128 schools.
The second phase has already rolled out with 8,000 balls being distributed while the remaining 4,000 will cater for the under-14 girls and boys categories.
There will be some 10,660 balls remaining for distribution in the third phase.
The project is also supported by Unicef as one of the partners
