Promote minority sport, VP Chilima urges Malawi army

Vice President Dr Saulos Chilima has hailed Malawi Defence Force (MDF) for incorporating minority sports in their various sporting disciplines within their establishments.

Chilima: We need to promote minority sporting disciplines 

He said this Friday during the 2018 MDF Award Gala dinner held at Bingu Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe.
Chilima said MDF’s recognition of minority sports has helped to unearth hidden talents that the army has for the country.

The Vice President noted that various stakeholders and sponsors have directly concentrated in investing towards football and netball in the country leaving other sporting disciplines on the venture of dying.

“We need to promote minority sporting disciplines like volleyball, basketball, table and lawn tennis, handball, hockey and karate so that this too should be recognized once again in the country,” he pointed out.

Chilima assured MDF of government’s continued support in in promoting sports within the army and in the country as a whole.

He explained that government is pleased to note that the MDF has set aside an occasion to honour men and women who have excelled in sports and this is an encouragement not only to the athletes to do more on local and international scene.

“We grateful that MDF is recognizing the important role retired and deceased men and women who had excelled in various sporting fields and military capabilities,” Chilima noted

He added that sports has proved to be a unifying factor among many communities and hence the need to promote it at all levels.

“Sports in military plays a significant role and it is a basic requirement for a soldiers to be physically fit always and reduces stress. This can be viewed as a vital component in everyday life of every soldier within MDF establishments,” the Vice President explained.

The Deputy Minister of Defence, Overton Chimulirenji said MDF has established the Directorate of Sports and Culture as one way of promoting sports within its institutions.

He said MDF would use the directorate fully to produce athletes that would compete equally at local and international competitions.

“There is cultural aspects within the Directorate in which MDF wants to promote and preserve among the soldier thereby promoting it within and outside the barracks,” Chimulirenji explained.

Army Commander for MDF, General Griffin Supuni thanked various sponsors for supporting the second gala Award MDF has hosted in the country.

He said MDF wants to make the annual Gala as a yearly event in order to honour and encourage athletes in all supporting disciplines and calls for close partnership with various organisations.

Supuni believes that MDF could play an important role in the development of sports and preserving cultural practices in the country.

“We committed to ensuring that sports and culture activities are properly coordinated with creation of the new directorate of sports and culture within MDF,” the Army Commander viewed.

Winning Athletes and teams were given trophies, certificates, t-shirts and cash.

Malawi national team and Red Lions football team captain, Chikoti Chirwa was named athletes of the year.

During the Gala, two female soldiers were promoted to the next ranks after excelling in military disciplines and General Supuni made the promotions.

The two were Private Siphwe Banda and Victoria Chimwaza.

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