Council, ministry plan to  construct Games Village

A functional review carried out by the Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) has recommended the construction of a Games Village to ease camping challenges, Weekend Nation has established. The review, which was conducted a decade ago and was adopted for implementation in 2024 by the previous Sports Council board proposed the construction of a Games Village at the Kamuzu Institute for Sports in Lilongwe. Sports Council acting chief executive officer Ivy Chinangwa, who is also director of sports development and recreation, confirmed the ambitious plans in an interview this week.

“Whenever the country prepares for major events such as the African Union Sports Council Youth Games, we incur a lot of expenses hiring training facilities, accommodation for athletes and equipment. These challenges can be addressed if we have a Games Village. It means all athletes and support staff will be accommodated at one place,” she said.

Chinangwa said the envisioned Games Village will include hostels, football pitches and courts for basketball, volleyball, netball and tennis, among other sporting codes. “We will also have a fitness centre, a clinic to treat injuries, and classrooms where athletes can learn theory. Plans also include laboratories and an anti-doping office.

[paywall]

The idea is to have a full complement of staff, including medical personnel, psychologists, physiotherapists and sports medicine experts,” she added. Chinangwa further said Sports Council is running Malawi Sports Development Camps where learners attend training camps during school holidays in various disciplines to build a database of athletes with podium potential. She said the Games Village would play a crucial role in that aspect.

She said the concept of a Games Village is a dedicated residential complex designed to accommodate athletes, officials and trainers during major international sporting events such as the Olympics or Commonwealth Games. Said the Council boss: “Beyond accommodation, such villages foster community, enhance security and leave a lasting infrastructure legacy for the host city. “It is important for us as a developing country to align with global trends, considering that sport is now a career.

Zambia already has a Games Village, as do many other countries.” Sports Council’s new board chairperson Jim Kalua said the board was impressed after being briefed on the proposal. “This is the only way we can develop more athletes. Our mandate will be to make sure that this is enforced.

We will examine it further and follow up, particularly on how it can be achieved through resource mobilisation,” he said. Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture spokesperson Macmillan Mwale said the initiative is the way to go and the plan has been there for over a decade.

[/paywall]