Sports Council Chief Executive Officer dates associations

Source: The Times Group Malawi
Author: Mphatso Malidadi

Newly-hired Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Henry Kamata is today expected to meet representatives of six sport associations to appreciate their mission and challenges.

MNCS Public Relations and Communications Officer Edgar Ntulumbwa said Kamata will hold separate meetings with representatives of Malawi Olympic Committee, Netball Association of Malawi, Judo Association of Malawi (Jam), Chess Association of Malawi (Chessam), Volleyball Association of Malawi and Handball Association of Malawi.

Ntulumbwa said Kamata will hold the meetings at Kamuzu Institute for Sports in Lilongwe.

"Our chief executive officer will, indeed, meet representatives of six sports associations to discuss several issues relating to sports development. There will be three executive committee members from each of the listed sport associations," Ntulumbwa said.

He said meetings with other associations would be held in the coming weeks.

"Other associations should wait for their turn. The new CEO will separately engage every association affiliated to the council," Ntulumbwa said.

He said the interface meetings would help the CEO to implement the council's mandate.

Chessam Publicity Secretary Francis Mwangupili welcomed the meetings, saying they will help all parties to understand each other.

"There are several activities which we plan to undertake. It is important to enlighten each other on how best to work together to achieve a common goal," Mwangupili said.

Jam General Secretary Ousbourne Banda said they are expecting fruitful discussions.

"We are looking forward to the meeting so that we should appreciate his goals and how he is going to work with us," Mwangupili said.

Former Malawi National Football Team defender Ojukwu Malunga said the meetings were timely as Kamata needs to appreciate the challenges which sport associations face as they try to fulfill their respective mandates.

"The new CEO needs to get firsthand information on what is happening on the ground. I am therefore not surprised that he will be meeting the associations separately. I hope such meetings will be held annually to check on the progress that associations are making," Malunga said.

Kamata said the interface will help him know other stakeholders.

"It is a platform for creating space to know each other as stakeholders in the sports family," he said.

Kamata joined the government sports implementing body on a three-year deal.

MNCS had been without a permanent CEO (formerly executive secretary) since 2019 when George Jana retired.

The council's administration manager Henry Mereka succeeded him in an acting capacity before Shephord Boma took over.