Malawi Sitting Volleyball need support

By Edwin Mauluka

The Malawi Paralympic Committee (MPC) has appealed for support to help the organization develop Sitting Volleyball which is new among people with disability in the country.

Paul Malange, Chairperson for the MPC in the Central Region made an appeal on during the central region pre-Malawi Parasport Festival involving Sitting Volleyball on Saturday, May 27, 2023 at Kamuzu Institute for Sports in Lilongwe.

Being a new sport, MPC brought young and energetic adults from different districts in the central region to get introduced to the sport such as rules and how to play. It also helped officials to identify talent for the formation of two regional teams that will compete in Malawi Parasport Festival, a national event scheduled for July this year.

According to Malange, managing the team drawn from different districts is a major challenge and require resources to facilitate travel of athletes during training sessions for the preparation of the national event.

“We want to have enough funds to transport these athletes so that we can at least manage to gather them every weekend for training. If we do that, we are sure that by the end of July, we are going to form a very good side that can compete competitively.” Explained Malange

He specifically pointed out that athletes with disabilities most of whom use wheelchairs are forced to make double pay for public transport fare and need to move with a guardian making their travel more expensive.

“So, it is a very expensive venture and we are looking for well-wishers who can assist us to solve this transport problem.” Added Malange

Elton Ng’ombe, Sitting Volleyball Coach added that besides financial support towards the sport, the Government, corporate and individuals are encouraged to support the MPC with materials such as nets, mats, balls.

“These resources will go a long way in developing the sport in the country. These resources will be distributed to ensure that Sitting Volleyball should be everywhere especially in primary schools to enable more children with disabilities participate in the sport. Matts are specifically needed because athletes cannot play on a rough surface.” Said Ng’ombe

Ng’ombe has since expressed optimism that there is promising future of the sport because he has already identified a number of talented from athletes who participated in the event.

Deputy Director of Sports responsible for Capacity Building and Schools Sports in the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mary Waya enthusiastically announced that the highly anticipated event has successfully provided a remarkable platform for unearthing a multitude of talented young athletes.

Waya expressed optimism that these exceptional athletes will undoubtedly carry the torch for Malawi, representing the national with pride in various prestigious sporting events worldwide.