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| Sports |
| National chess team cries foul |
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by
Our Reporter, 05 August 2004
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10:07:57
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The National Chess Team is disputing the result of last Saturday’s friendly match against Blantyre Select who were declared winners of the highly controversial showdown played at Polytechnic.
The hosts won the game 7-5 but the national team says that was not the true reflection of the results.
“We accept the Blantyre side gave us a tough competition but the 7-5 result is not a true picture of the games that were played. The true result could have been a 6-all draw because one of our players Leonard Sharra beat Yohane Misomali 2-0 but the game was declared a 1-all draw on the basis that Sharra came late.
“The decision to declare the game a draw was made when it became clear Sharra was winning the second game. We tried to argue but the announcement of the result had already been made by Chess Association of Malawi (Cham) president Kezzie Msukwa,” claimed Ulemu Chiluzi, a Lilongwe-based member of the national team.
Chiluzi also said the organisation of the event was poor, adding everything including pairing of the players was done by Blantyre.
“They predetermined our line up and paired us against opponents of their choice. Anyway, we hear there will be a rematch in Lilongwe and that’s when we are going to prove our superiority,” said Chiluzi.
Blantyre and Districts Chess League (BDCL) publicity secretary and Cham vice secretary general Gilton Mkumbwa conceded there were anomalies but he was quick to point out the national team was outplayed.
“It is true the organisation was flawed somehow but putting that and Sharra’s case aside, the national team was totally outplayed. This was evidenced by the losses that Stanbic National Champion Kajani Kaunda and his two runners up Gerald Nkangama and Ulemu Chiluzi suffered,” said Nkumbwa who defeated Kaunda 2-0.
Meanwhile, players from the BDCL Kas Freight League will be back into business this Sunday as the league lines up six matches at the Polytechnic.
The games are as follows: Genius vs Zomba Police College, Castles vs Polytechnic, Zingwangwa vs Ndirande Youth Centre, Genius vs Polytechnic, Castles vs Ndirande Youth Centre and ZA Police College vs Zingwangwa.
The first three games will start at 1.30pm with the last three commencing at 4.00pm.
Administration cause of low soccer standards, meeting notes
Garry Chirwa
A meeting called by Sports Minister Henry Chimunthu Banda on Wednesday in Blantyre to identify problems that are leading to the deteriorating standards of football, pinpointed poor administration as the major cause.
The meeting, which was attended by officials from Ministry of Sports, Sports Council, Ocgam, media, Fam and its affiliates noted that administration of the game both at top level and grassroots leaves a lot to be desired.
Soccer analyst Charles Nyirenda said some of the people who are running the game are not the calibre that should be entrusted with the management of football in the country.
“The other thing is that some of them have their own agenda of going into football administration and not to effectively run our it so unless we tackle that area, problems will continue,” said Nyirenda.
He also added that wrong people go into football administration at Fam because they bribe the affiliates.
“The question is do our affiliates choose the right people?” asked Nyirenda.
Television Malawi (TVM) sports presenter Kelvin Moyo echoed Nyirenda’s statements saying there is need to sensitise affiliates on the need to choose right people for Fam positions.
“Honourable minister, a good example is Mr Steve Msambila who was elected Fam veep responsible for technical issues and yet he knows very little about technical issues, so there is need to educate affiliates about these issues,” said Moyo.
But Msambila countered though not on a technical point of view:: “I have administered football for a long time and I was once vice chairman for Silver.”
Ocgam’s president Jerome Waluza said there was also need for Fam to improve its image in terms of discipline while general secretary James Gwaza said the problem is that there is no strategic plan.
He also said Ocgam will be organising administration courses for football administrators.
Sports Council board chair Dean Pinto there is need for officials at Fam to divide responsibilities, saying “responsibilities at Fam must be looked at critically.”
At the end of the meeting a task force to look at the problems affecting the game and make recommendations to the minister was formed. It comprises Dean Pinto as head while the members are Isaac Nyakamera, James Gwaza, Bester Kalombo (ex-officio), Henry Chibowa (Sulom) Kelvin Moyo, Garry Chirwa and a Fam representative to be chosen soon.
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