Coca-Cola Schools Trophy kicks off amid discomfort
National finals for the 2012 edition of the Copa Coca Cola Schools Trophy begin Friday at Zomba Community Centre ground amid discomfort from the competing teams on the timing for the national finals.
Players from the participating teams have been sitting either for Malawi School Certificate of Education or end of year examinations, a development that affected their preparations for the games.
Most of the students/players have travelled to the games’ hosting city straight from the examination room following the organizers and sponsors decision to hold the games adjacent to the examinations.
“This is not on. The organizers or sponsors would have considered the welfare of the students before deciding the dates for the national finals. Students need to prepare thoroughly for examinations and at the same time we need to prepare adequately for the games,” lamented a teacher from one of the competing schools.
Despite the timing hiccup, Malawi Schools Sports Association (Massa) says the stage is set for the national finals, which have drawn together champions from the country’s six educational divisions.
The competing teams
Airtel Rising Stars champions Joyce Banda Foundation are representing South West Education Division with Modern Private Secondary School representing Shire Highlands Division. Liwonde CDSS are carrying the flag of the host division- South East Education Division.
Central West has Kamuzu Barracks while Parachute Battalion CDSS and Tauka Private have come from Central East and Northern education divisions.
The teams have been pooled into grounds A and B with Parachute, Liwonde and Modern Private making Ground A while JB Foundation, Cobbe Barracks and Tauka Private have been placed into Ground B.
Group winners will face runners-up from the opposite section in semi-final games scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday, July 14, 2011) while finals and third-play play-offs have been scheduled for Sunday.
Winners of the competition will walk away with K200,000 from sponsors Coca Cola and book a trip overseas for a camp training.
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