By Lydia Maganga
Blantyre, November 16, Mana: Vice President, Dr. Saulos Chilima has urged the organising committee of the Olympic Games to find the solution to the country’s perennial failure to win medals at international tournaments.
He said it was time to get serious and go back to the drawing table to try and take a different approach so that Malawian athletes bring medals back home from different tournaments.
The Vice President was speaking on Tuesday when he presided over the Queen’s Baton Relay on behalf of Malawians at Chileka International Airport in Blantyre.
Chilima who is also Minister of Economic Planning and Development and Public Sector Reforms emphasized that it was high time Malawians changed the approach from doing the same things as our performance has not been encouraging at the Commonwealth games.
“We need to drop the usual approach and explore other avenues to see that we promote our flag outside the country.
“Our performance has not been encouraging compared to other African countries who have managed to improve within the years and have brought trophies to their perspective countries,” he said.
Chilima encouraged Malawi Olympic Committee (MOC) officials to get into serious planning in the games so that they win and make Malawians proud.
“Considering that the 2022 Commonwealth Games are now drawing closer, let us get serious by practicing and planning so that we at least bring some trophies home,” he added.
The Vice President pledged government’s commitment to the Commonwealth and its activities.
MOC President, Jappie Mhango said it was a great honour for Malawi to be part of the Queen’s Baton Relay.
He said the Queen’s Baton would be in the country for three days and it would go to Zambia on Thursday, November 19,2021.
Mhango said the Queen’s Baton has always been paraded in Lilongwe but this year they decided to change place to Blantyre for the first time.
Spicing the ceremony was a netball game, a boxing fight and Judo.
Some of the sporting disciplines that have qualified from Malawi for the 2022 Commonwealth Games to take place in Birmingham, United Kingdom include netball, boxing and marathon.
