Sports Writers Association of Malawi (SWAM) will handle media awards in the inaugural Airtel Top 8 Challenge Cup which is set to kick-off this weekend in all the four regions across the country.
Sponsors of the cup and the sports writers body have signed a partnership that will see all media categories being handled by the latter.
Airtel’s CSR and Corporate Communications Manager Norah Chavula-Chirwa said the decision to hand over the coordination of the media awards to SWAM is to ensure that the whole process is handled proffessionally and objectively.
“As a professional body for sports journalists in the country, we felt that SWAM was the right authority to coordinate the awards by setting the appropriate eligibility and submission standards for participating journalists,” she said.
The media awards will have 5 categories namely Best Print, Radio, Television, Online and Photojournalist, with the prize for each category pegged at K200, 000.
SWAM Chairperson Peter Kanjere expressed optimism that the partnership with Airtel Top 8 will go a long way in uplifting the quality of Malawi sports journalism standards.
“In respect of our constitutional mandate to encourage, promote and objectively reward sports journalism excellence in Malawi, there will be an independent panel renowned media trainers from the University of Malawi who will critique all submissions for the inaugural Airtel Top 8 Cup Media Awards,” he explained.
According to Kanjere, this will be the first time to see football tournament sponsors to partner media fraternity in the country.
He also added that entry criteria will be a maximum of three per category.
“Furthermore, the judge’s decision on the winners will be final and SWAM’s Executive Committee will not be involved in the vetting and selection of the winners in any way,” he concluded.
He then announced his ineligibility for the award to avoid conflict of interest.
