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| Sports Minister lashes out at Sports Council |
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Sports Minister lashes out at Sports Council, 08 September 2004
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13:37:58
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Sports Minister Henry Chimunthu-Banda Monday accused the Sports Council of not taking a leading role in managing sports associations affiliated to it.
The minister also said the council acts immaturely at times and does not take sports seriously.
Chimunthu-Banda said the council has the powers to discipline associations that are not misbehaving according to the provisions of the 1974 Sports Council Act.
He accused the council of only waiting for financial requests from associations and forward them to the ministry without scrutinising them.
“The council should not just be transferring documents from here to there. We need a council which should check what is being requested and see if it is worth it and slash the budget where necessary,” said Chimunthu-Banda when he met various sports stakeholders in Blantyre.
He said government was also worried that the council does not realise the economic opportunities at its disposal.
“The Council does not even have teeth to bite. I though it should have the powers to bite including registering or de-registering an association in case of seriously misbehaviour,” said the minister who also accused the institution of not submitting reports since June this year.
Hockey Association of Malawi general secretary Khrishna Achuthan agreed with the minister.
“We want to see the council doing something to develop sports in the country otherwise it just acts like a clearing house sending letters, proposals and financial requests from the associations,” he said.
But Sports Council executive secretary George Jana defended the position of the council saying it is all about the associations who seem not to understand the council’s expectation about them.
“I think here, we are beginning to misunderstand each other. The council does not form the associations. These associations are formed by people out there who organise themselves and come to register with us.
“So they should know all the expectations of the council because it is their responsibility,” said Jana.
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