This year’s Raiply National Volleyball Trophy has been boosted with the arrival of Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) President Bouchra Hajij, who landed at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe Thursday.
Volleyball Association of Malawi (Vam) Publicity Secretary MacGodwin Mangani said Hajij’s visit added a new dimension to the three-day tournament.
“Her coming to Malawi for this competition is an indication that the game is, indeed, growing. We are very excited to welcome her. It is pleasing that she decided to make the trip to see for herself how we are doing in developing the game.
“Her expertise and guidance will undoubtedly benefit our game in many ways. To us, this feels like an international tournament because of her presence. What a moment worth remembering,” Mangani said.
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The K25 million competition throws off at Katoto Courts in Mzuzu this morning and ends on Sunday.
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Raiply Malawi Public Relations Officer Dalitso Chimwala said they were excited to sponsor the competition for the 14th year.
He said their continued sponsorship was an indication that Vam was managing the competition in a proper manner.
Chimwala said they were also motivated with the coming of Hajij.
“No one wants to be associated with chaos. People always aspire for progress, success and achievements. Therefore, we congratulate Vam for attracting the attention of CAVB. So, a series of meetings, consultations and briefings have led us to commit K25 million towards this year’s tournament. This is a double increase from last year.
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“The raise is an appreciation to the volleyball fraternity in the country. It is also a reflection of the reality in our country in the sense that we have experienced inflation and devaluation. We, as Raiply, conduct our business in a sustainable way and, so, this increment is a factor of consideration,” he said.
The tournament has drawn 24 teams from the three regional leagues affiliated to Vam, with 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams fighting for glory in their respective categories.
The teams will be using the tournament as a preparatory event for this year’s Zone VI Senior Volleyball Club Championships scheduled for Botswana next month.
