VIEWPOINT

In the Queen’s land, they say if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. In Malawi one would say if wishes were houses, Flames players would be housed!

Perhaps not a very convincing adage, but nevertheless something closer to that—the Malawi government has pledged to offer regular Malawi national team players Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) houses as part of a drive to improve their welfare.

Both local dailies, The Daily Times and The Nation, on Wednesday quoted the youth and sports minister Enoch
Chakufwa Chihana as saying government “wants to ensure that every regular national team player should be offered a house”.

Said the minister: “The bottom line is that we want their welfare to be looked into because, being national team players, they are national assets and they need to be motivated for them to give out their best for the cause of their motherland.”

Chihana also said he would work hand in hand with the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) to find corporate sponsors for the players and pledged to look into the national football governing body’s request to review the team’s allowances and bonuses.     

The Flames get K30 000 game bonus each for a win, half this amount for a draw and nothing for a loss, which Chihana said was much on the lower side to motivate the players.

“Even if you brought world class coaches like Jose Mourinho or Pep Guardiola, you cannot get the best out of the players if you do not motivate them,” he said. 

According to FAM president Walter Nyamilandu, Flames players also get K2 000 each per day as training allowance, which is ‘peanuts’ by all standards.

It will be a big plus on the part of the minister if he convinces government to offer housing to national team players and increase their allowances and bonuses, but for now I daresay this will remain a colourful pipedream. For, if I may ask, for how long can this be sustained? Players come and go, or don’t they?

Nevertheless, the minister should get kudos for committing himself to improving the welfare of national team players because it will go a long way in motivating the players to die a little for mother Malawi and bring honour to the nation. This is a big stepping stone towards building a winning team.
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©2012 The Maravi Post. Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgment.