Council to nominate winners for Regional Annual Sports Awards

Source: The Times Group Malawi
Author: Mphatso Malidadi

Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) says 2023 Malawi Sport Awards (Mas) winners would be nominated for the Regional Annual Sports Awards (Rasa), administered by African Union Sports Council (AUSC).

MNCS Board Chairperson Sunduzwayo Madise disclosed this after holding the fifth edition of the national awards at Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe.

Madise said local winners are expected to battle it out at regional level with their colleagues from nine countries under AUSC Region 5.

"Winners of these awards will also compete with nine countries of the Region 5 family at the Regional Annual Sports Awards (Rasa).

"As a result, the council made sure that the process of the awards, including profiling, should be professionally done to the standards that we allow our athletes to compete favourably at Rasa," Madise said.

Madise said Malawi Sport Awards being the biggest sport event in the country and are recognised in the southern part of Africa, deserve support from the corporate world, government departments and parastatals.

The local awards started in 2017 and are aimed at recognising outstanding athletes, sports administrators, sports institutions and media houses.

During the awards, football dominated after scooping eight of the 16 awards with the Scorchers being voted the Best National Team of the Year while the team's coach Lovemore Fazili won the mentor's accolade.

United States of America-based Scorchers Temwa won the Sports Woman of the Year while FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Coach Kalisto Pasuwa won the Best Non-citizen category after guiding his charges to an unprecedented domestic quadruple.

Meanwhile, local sports analyst Frank Chakanga said local athletes and teams should aim at impressing at major events to stand a chance of winning medals at top level.

"For our athletes to do well at major events they need the support from the stakeholders including government and administrators to participate at major events," Chakanga said.