Talent search K2m football league launched in Dowa: MP Bauleni Manna
A talent searching K2 million worthy trophy has been launched in Dowa East constituency.
The trophy, launched by the area`s Member of Parliament (MP) Jimmy Bauleni Manna, will run up to October.
Speaking during the launch of the trophy on Sunday, Manna said he aims in unearthing the hidden talent which is mostly not tapped by the country`s urban and Super League teams.
“Malawi as a nation has got the best talent in football only that it is hidden in the rural areas where coaches find it hard to discover and have for the past time relied on urban teams. Now as a youthfull leader, we would want to help in unearthing such talents and bring it to the public hence the launch of this trophy.
“Over the past few years, we have seen some football players sourced from the rural areas doing wonders in the country`s main league and it is our wish into that some more players should come in the open,” he said.
Of late, some players like Divason Mlozi, who was signed by Big Bullets from Dowa and Gabadinho Mhango from Nkhatabay have established themselves among the best player in the country’s top flight league.
Ironically, Mhango was the one who scored the vital away goal when Malawi beat Namibia in the World Cup qualifiers last week.
Manna said through this inspiration, he want to turn Dowa into a district with strong teams that can compete in the top league.
“It’s not just about making the youth busy with the game during their free time, but to say Dowa as a district and this constituency in particular, is here to stay in the country’s football records,” said
the MP who is also the ruling Party’s Deputy Director of Youth Affairs.
In the central region, Dowa based Mponela United has qualified to play in the country’s top league next season.
“As a member from this district, I am happy with Mponela United and next time, it will be a team from Dowa East that will have such a promotion,” Manna said.
The constituency has been divided into four zones with a winning team in all zones winning K30000 and then there will be a top four knockout where the ultimate champion will walk away with K50000 prize.
Each zone has been a located with K500 000 which will also go into other youth development projects.
This, according to Manna, has been a running initiative aiming at turning the youth into responsible citizens.
“I started with a K700 000 worth trophy, then I hiked it up to K1 million, after this one, it will be at K3 million then K5 million.
“I would want to complement to President Dr Joyce Banda’s program of empowering the youth. In the past, politicians looked at us a tools of fighting those who oppose us but now we would want to see into it that the youth realise their importance to the country’s development, that’s why even now you see some youthful MP are being appointed into ministerial positions,” he said.
