Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) plans to introduce sport guidelines has met lukewarm response after several associations failed to commit their stand, Malawi News Sport can reveal.
MNCS gave the associations up to March 31 to accept and start implementing the guidelines but our sources indicate that no association confirmed its position.
However, the council has downplayed the cold response saying they are taking the silence as being compliant.
In an interview with representatives of some associations, the officials stressed that they can comply with the guidelines upon consultation.
Apparently, the development is coming at a time when the council has invited its affiliates to a guidelines implementing meeting slated for April 15.
Taekwondo Association of Malawi (Tam) president Chitty Nkhwazi said they can implement the guidelines upon consultation.
“We are not fighting the council. It is good that they have called for a meeting where our concerns will be aired. Our position remains the same; we need to be consulted before implementing the guidelines,” he said.
Other associations indicated that they will make their stand known after the forthcoming meeting.
Meanwhile, Volleyball Association of Malawi (Vam) is expected to hold an extra-ordinary general meeting next week where they are expected to elect a general secretary to fill the void following the death of Jairos Nkhoma in 2021.
However, Vam’s in its communication dated January 21, 2023, the association said it will recognise a holder of Malawi School Certificate of Education which is contrary to MNCS’ guidelines which call for a diploma holder.
Ironically, when we went to press yesterday, the Malawi Wrestling Association held an elective AGM yesterday at Kamuzu Institute for Sports (KIS) in Lilongwe where the guidelines were observed on the presidency.
A source, who attended the AGM, said they were only strict on the aspirants for the presidency where council’s requirement is a Bachelor’s Degree. Mary Kalirani was elected president with Typhen Kamanga as vice president.
Maggie Chikuni is the Secretary General while Tennyson Malikebu is the Vice Secretary.
Elizabeth Perekamoyo has been elected Treasurer whereas Harry Phoso is the vice.
The association’s technical director is Arthur Limani.
In a related development, Malawi Handball Association (Maha) will hold an AGM at KIS today to discuss council’s guidelines.
“The AGM will review an invitation from the International Handball Federation and also discuss what should be our position regarding the guidelines. We will also discuss the need to amend our constitution,” the association’s president Dennis Kumwenda said.
However, MNCS Public Relations and Communications Officer Edgar Ntulumbwa said they expect associations to start implementing guidelines this month.
“The grace period ended last month and no one has complained. This month is when the associations will start implementing the guidelines. So, since no association has officially complained to us we believe that they have complied.
“We are meeting the associations on April 15 to discuss more on the issue. The meeting is aimed at assisting the associations on how they can implement the guidelines,” Ntulumbwa said.
According to the guidelines, a president of an association should have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree while a general secretary should have a minimum of a diploma offered by an accredited academic institution of higher learning.
Under the guidelines, associations will also be required to declare all sources of funding from within and outside Malawi and provide annual audited accounts.
