Lakeshore schools compete in swimming launch

Nkhata Bay, Malawi — The Malawi Schools Sports Association launched a swimming competition Saturday for lakeshore schools at Chintheche in Nkhata Bay, writes Victor Musongole.

The competition aims to unearth swimming talents from lakeshore districts who can compete at the international level.

Charity Biswick and Ephraim Themba won gold medals in the launch competition.

Massa President Blackson Malamula said he was impressed with the launch and hoped the competition would produce the best swimmers.

"We will select the best 10 from each district at the national level," Malamula said. "We are also looking for support to have these swimmers trained to be the best. We are therefore appealing for more partners."

Sunduzwayo Madise, board chair of the Malawi National Council of Sports, who graced the launch, said the country had the potential to do better in international competitions, but most athletes failed on technicalities.

"Most of our athletes fail on technicalities because they don't have properly trained coaches," Madise said.

"So we will train more coaches and umpires to do better on the international level."

Madise added that he was impressed by seeing young boys and girls doing well at the launch.

"I'm very impressed. You saw an 11-year-old girl win this launch competition. I want to encourage people to take swimming as a career," Madise said in an interview.

The national swimming finals will be held in October, where each participating district will contribute 10 athletes, making it 70 at the national competition.

The competition will be held in the lakeshore districts of Karonga, Rumphi, Nkhata Bay, Likoma, Nkhotakota, Salima, and Mangochi.