In a bid to prepare athletes for life after retirement, Malawi Commonwealth Games (CGA)/ MOC has launched an economic empowerment project for them.
Speaking during the launch of the Commonwealth Games Secretary General Henry Sakala said the initiative will help athletes generate income after retiring from sports.
“It was established that after finishing their careers most athletes live destitute lives because they did not make proper investments. On the other hand, the sports industry is yet to be vibrant in Malawi for them to make money. We believe by training them in vocational education they can sustain themselves.
The first cohort will undergo a six months tailoring course. The athletes have been drawn from Athletics, Boxing, Volleyball, Judo, Taekwondo and Weightlifting. The plan is to embark on other technical trainings like Mechanical, carpentry, spray painting and driving courses among other skills. Sometimes careers don’t go according to plan and there should be an alternative solution. That’s why we have embarked on this. We don’t want athletes to turn into beggars when their career is over.” he sai
Mussa Milanzi a beneficiary from Judo Association commended MOC for taking steps to look into after welfare of athletes.
“This is something we really appreciate and will change the lives of athletes. After completion of this course i can start something of my own. This is the way to go,” he said.
