Lilongwe Soccer Club Urges Focus on Sports, Education
LILONGWE, Malawi— A soccer club in Malawi's capital is urging schools and parents to prioritize sports as an extracurricular activity that can promote holistic youth development alongside academics, writes Alinafe Nyanda.
At a donation event Tuesday in Area 23 providing exercise books, pens and sports gear to student-athletes, Hungry Lions FC head coach Grant Kalilombe stressed the club's commitment to education as key for national progress.
"Sports can have a hugely positive impact on impoverished communities and be used as a tool to empower young people and promote physical and mental health and well-being, as well as build cohesion within a country," Kalilombe said.
He said the Lilongwe-based club is working to reenroll dropouts in the Tsabango and Kaumbwe areas through its youth sports programs.
"Our belief is that young people are solutions for the future, so giving them high-quality education is the best way of shaping them to be productive citizens through sports," Kalilombe added.
Blessings Mitengo, the Under-14 team captain, expressed excitement about the donation, saying the books and pens will greatly assist the players academically. He commended the club's management for the gifts.
Sports analyst Willy Chabwinja appealed for more funding from well-wishers and stakeholders to sustain the club's initiatives promoting education via sports, especially for underprivileged youth.
"Lack of funding continues to derail the progress of promoting education through sports, particularly for the needy," Chabwinja said.
Hungry Lions fields men's and women's teams that use soccer "to engage, educate and empower thousands of young people" in the Tsabango and Kaumbwe areas through sports-based empowerment and human development programs, the club said.
It aims to build bridges across socioeconomic divides by making sports accessible.