Mponda, Police primary schools complete list of qualified teams for the K20m FDH Bank Inter-City Mayors’ Championship
Mponda and Police primary schools have defended FDH Bank Zomba Mayor’s Trophy in football and netball respectively, complete list of qualified teams for the K20 million FDH Bank Inter-City Championship to be played early September
Mponda join Lilongwe City champions Kamuzu Barracks and St Peter’s Catholic from Mzuzu in football while Police will tussle with Ngwenya 2 from Lilongwe and Lupaso from Mzuzu in netball.
NICO Group-sponsored Blantyre City Mayor’s champions will also be included in the FDH Bank Inter-City Championship.
In the finals played at Zomba Police Ground on Friday, Mponda beat Prison Primary School 1-0 through golden boot winner, Henderson Kapindula’s 15th-minute spot-kick while Police outclassed Thundu 21-7.
“It is a dream come true for us to defend the trophy and qualify for the inter-city championship. We are happy to have finally made it,” said Mponda sports master Byson Njikho.
Police Primary School netball coach Taziona Nasimba said she was happy with the performance of her charges in the final and she cannot wait to see how they can do it against teams from other cities.
“After our emphatic victory in Zomba finals, we might be complacent with our achievement,” she said. “We can only gauge our real strength after playing against other cities’ champions.”
Yankho M’mangisa of Matiya Primary School was named the best player in football whereas Mpotola Primary School’s Yankho Kusakala netballer emerged as the best shooter.
Zomba City Mayor, Councillor Dave Maunde said he was impressed with the standard of play and thanked FDH Bank plc for providing the financial that allows football and netball talents to blossom in his fold.
FDH Bank Plc head of treasury and investment banking, Esnart Suleiman said the primary schools’ competition aligns to their strategies as a home-grown bank, looking at how it is nurturing talents.
“What we have seen here has really impressed us,” she said. “We feel the sponsorship we provide has realised value. We are eager to continue supporting this competition.”
At the conclusion of Lilongwe City Mayor’s Trophy last month, FDH Bank Managing Director, Noel Mkulichi described the primary school competition as a nursery for the two sports disciplines and pledged to continue sponsoring the trophy.
The tournament, which involves Under-14 players drawn from primary schools in the four cities, was resuscitated after two year’s due to CoVID-19.
Mkulichi also pledged that the bank would continue with the sponsorship because it was impressed with the standard of play, saying it also “keeps the youths busy, preventing them from engaging in promiscuous behaviour, which will lead them into becoming irresponsible adults.
FDH Bank cherishes community and youth development, which is an opportunity for us to exercise our corporate social responsibility,” Mkulichi said.
Also present at the Lilongwe finals was Deputy Director of Sports in the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Kinna Phiri, who commended FDH Bank for the initiative, saying even government is now encouraging the development of football, netball and other sports disciplines at grass root level.
Kinnah, a legendary national football team player and coach, who is responsible for all community sports activities, said he had witnessed some good talent in the Mayor’s trophy, which needs to be utilized in the near future.
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