Malawi cashes in on Zimbabwe turmoil
Malawi’s volleyball has cashed in on the tense political climate in Zimbabwe as organisers of the Zone VI Senior Volleyball Club Championships have withdrawn the event from Bulawayo in favour of Lilongwe.
Zimbabwe is going through political uncertainty amid calls—from several sectors, including the army—for the country’s President, Robert Mugabe, to resign.
The zone’s Treasurer, Jappie Mhango, confirmed that Malawi had won the bid to host the tournament ahead of Botswana and Swaziland.
Mhango said the competition, which is expected to have 35 teams from 10 southern African countries, will throw off on December 7.
“The organising committee saw it fit to move the competition from Zimbabwe in order to allow the political climate there to stabilise. It would not have been prudent to proceed with the tournament in Bulawayo under the present circumstances,” he explained.
Volleyball Association of Malawi General Secretary, Jairos Nkhoma, said he believes Malawi won the tournament’s hosting rights because of her offer to accommodate beach volleyball besides the usual indoor games.
Nkhoma said the championship will be held in Lilongwe with over 500 players and officials expected to come for the showpiece.
“We will also lobby to have a minimum of four teams representing us as hosts. Having the tournament played here in Malawi will help our teams to learn modern tactics and laws of the game. The foreign teams will also bring money to spend here and this will contribute to our economy,” he said.
Nkhoma said a meeting, scheduled for Lilongwe, would determine the competition’s budget, depending on available match venues. Malawi will host the event for the third time.
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