Newly appointed Youth and Sports minister Uchizi Mkandawire says government considers FAM as a model for all sporting disciplines in the country.
Mkandawire this on Wednesday afternoon when he visited FAM Headquarters at the Mpira Village as part of his familiarization tour to various sports establishments in Blantyre.
He said: “”I came here basically to familiarize myself with FAM as the football governing body in the country .I am impressed with what I have seen here and the overall structure and operations of FAM. They are able to do business using the Mpira Village facility thereby complementing their activities which is commendable and we consider FAM as a model for all sporting disciplines looking at how organised they are.”
The minister added that, as a mouthpiece for all the sports disciplines at executive level, he will use his portfolio to lobby for full government support towards football.
“There are a lot of things happening in football and as a main sponsor, I would like to assure FAM that government is always available to provide the necessary support towards its activities. Knowing that sometimes the government budget is limited, we will try as much as possible to lobby for more funding because we understand how important it is if our national teams are to give the desired results,” said Mkandawire.
In his remarks, FAM President Walter Nyamilandu hailed the minister for the visit saying this a proof of his commitment towards the game.
“We are very delighted that the minister came to visit us within a month of his appointment. This shows his passion for the game and that football is indeed at his heart. He said that he wants help in developing the game and as a governing body, we are geared to support the government in every means possible to achieve all the aspirations. We have highlighted the challenges that we face economically and what efforts can be made and the minister is very committed to support us which is very encouraging to is,” said Nyamilandu.
Before visiting FAM the minister visited the Malawi National Council of Sports premises at Chichiri before inspecting the construction sites for Nyasa Big Bullets and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers Stadiums in Blantyre.
