Sports experts blame school curriculum on sports degradation

Many sports experts have voiced out their views blaming the current school curriculum on the pathetic performance of Malawi as a country in all sporting dimensions, saying the syllabus does not put sports at the centre of its services as used to be the case in previous years.

Sports Patron for Humane consortium on Nature for Mankind, Dickens Mpamande humanitarian NGO currently assembling youth to teach them different sporting activities said, football, netball, gymnastics, acrobatics, javelin, discus, long jumping, splinting, cross country flourished during the early 1967 to 1989 in the sports discipline this made Malawi very famous country; but all that glory is gone due to lack of school curriculum which is sports centred” adding it has led to laziness in the pupils.

Minister of Youth Sports and Culture, Enock Chakufwa Chihana concurred recently with this observation saying he has realised the Malawi’s dilapidating sporting activities for the past twenty years due to lack of funds, lack of youth interest, motivational factors, dedication and expertise to practically drive this sector.

“It is very sad that I accept that sports has really deteriorated drastically in our country, but I can assure you all that chances of resuscitating and claiming its lost glory in sports because Government has its eyes on all sports programmes,

I feel it could be good if in our schools we value sports and physical education subject and give each school well trained teacher to handle, this would obviously improve our performance and image,” he said.

However, veteran in cross country competitions John Mwathiwa recognised locally and internationally experienced also in training various sporting activities blamed today’s youth for lack of commitment in taking part in various sporting activities besides poor school curriculum in sports management.

“It takes ones’ dedication to excel in sports otherwise one can pathetically goof if they await someone to stir them,” Mwathiwa advised and reminded people to love and endure when practicing sports.

Speaking to Malawi News Agency, veteran Weight lifting’s Trainer Isaac Mwangonde who was also Mr. Malawi competitions from 1989 to 2002 in body building, suggested that school curriculum has negatively affected the sports status and needs revision if we are to do well again.

“During our school going days the education ministry had all sporting activities that one wanted this gave us enthusiasm improved our talents and directly made us to like sports, hence, Malawi was very popular in this dimension,” said Mwangonde.

Commenting on Min Olympics established in 1896, Mwangonde said has always provided platform for pupils to showcase their sporting abilities.

He said Malawi was really very strong in sporting activities, but gradually lost its sporting culture and automatically fell out of peoples’ love as at most times our players come home without golden medals as it used to be in the past.

Richard Kuwali the incumbent president for Weight Lifting and Body Building Association of Malawi reminded that the previous school curriculum put sports as one of the milestone of pupils’ success from primary, secondary and at university which made our children disciplined and excelled in their academic work.

“We used to do well during international competitions because as students we were given all the required skills in all our school levels, ” added Kuwali.

According to Henry Masitala ‘mr Malawi’ for six consecutive years asked the ministry of sports to pump in more money for competitions.