Director of sports urged embassies to support sports

By Moses Nyirenda
Director of Sports in the Ministry of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development, Jameson Ndalama has urged Embassies in the country to take part in supporting sports activities, in a quest to expand sports disciplines in the country.
He made the remarks on Sunday during ‘5th Japanese Ambassador Judo Championships’ which was held at Cross Roads Hotel, Great Sapitwa Hall in Lilongwe.
Ndalama appreciated the Japanese Embassy for introducing and supporting different sporting games in the country.
He noted that other embassies should take part in introducing and promoting various sports disciplines in the country.
“As the ministry we are commending what the Japanese Embassy is currently doing in inventing and promoting various sports disciplines in the country, with this we are urging other embassies to follow suit in introducing and supporting sports disciplines in the country,” the Director explained.
Ndalama said that government through national sports policy is advocating to various stakeholders including embassies to take part in introducing different sports disciplines in the country.
He suggested that if at least all the embassies in the country could introduce and support one sporting discipline as Japanese Embassy did in recognizing; Karate, Judo and Kendo would help to have more sporting disciplines in the country.
Ndalama said that if the country has more sporting disciplines it gives wider choice for people to participate adding that the coming in of Judo in the country gives chance to people who do not like other types of sports games to participate.
“If our country has more sports disciplines will give people a wider choice to choose their sport of interest, for instance people who do not like football, netball and other type of sports games will be participating in Judo,” he said.
He encouraged the youth to take part in sports saying that it creates self-employment, human wellbeing and it helps to refrain from immoral behaviors such as drug and substances abuse.
Japanese Ambassador, Kae Yanagisawa said that her embassy would continue supporting sports games as one way of promoting sports sector in the country.
President of Judo Association of Malawi, Captain John Kaputa Retired said that Judo sport is moving to the greater heights in the country, saying that many youth including girls have shown interest in taking part in the Judo games.
The Championship was patronized by 60 male and female Judokans (Judo practitioners) from Blantyre, Lilongwe and ‘Judo for Peace’ from Dzaleka and was spiced up by Judo and Jijutsu demonstrations-Mana