President Peter Mutharika has told football clubs in the country to make sure that young players are assisted to continue their education while playing football.
He made the remarks on Wednesday in Blantyre during an audience with Nyasa Big Bullets and Be Forward Wanderers Officials, who were accompanied by Football Association of Malawi (FAM) President Walter Nyamilandu at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre.
“Do not take young players from the village and dump them in town. Make sure that they also go to school while playing football because football alone is not enough,” the President advised.
He added that clubs should put welfare of their players first because for the players to perform well they need to have a positive mind.
Mutharika also assured the two clubs that he would construct state of the art stadiums for them as he promised during the campaign period.
He said funds for the two stadiums would be allocated in this year’s national budget once Parliament meets for the budget session which is scheduled to start next week in Lilongwe.
Be Forward Wanderers FC Chairman, Gift Mkandawire who spoke on behalf of the two clubs hailed Mutharika for his total support to the two clubs.
“Allow me to salute you for the unprecedented donation of stadiums to Wanderers and Bullets. Your Excellency, you will go down in history as the only President that saw our plight and did something about it,” he pointed out.
Mkandawire pleaded with the President that for the two stadiums to be constructed should be of international standards both in terms of capacity and facilities.
He asked government to be assisting clubs that participate in the CAF games in terms of resources because they represent the nation.
FAM President, Nyamilandu saluted the President for showing commitment in the development of football in the country.
He said infrastructure is one of the key components in the development of football saying what the President has demonstrated is a sign of the love he has for the game of football.
“For Bullets and Wanderers to have no stadiums and home it affects them in many aspects. Let me salute you for showing passion because once these teams will have their own stadiums they will be able to generate funds for themselves,” Nyamilandu said.
He said for Malawi to qualify for the World Cup they need teams like Bullets and Wanderers to have proper infrastructures.
Source: Mana
