Athletics Association of Malawi (AAM) is on a collision course with the Malawi Olympic Committee (MOC) over the choice of an athlete bound for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil next month.
Malawi, which has never produced a qualified athlete for the Games, let alone won a medal, will once again send to Brazil a few unqualified athletes outnumbered by officials on Olympic Solidarity. The Games get underway on August 6.
In the selection wrangle, while both bodies agree on the choice of marathon runner, Teresa Master, MOC has overruled AAM’s selection of 10,000 metres’ representative, Ndacha Mcherenje. MOC has opted for Kefas Kasiteni.
All things being equal, the mother sports body is only supposed to facilitate the trip to the games while following recommendations from respective sports bodies such as AAM.
AAM General Secretary, Frank Chitembeya, on Thursday claimed that MOC selected Kasiteni based on his experience having represented Malawi at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland.
“As our parents we expect MOC to respect our choice since we are custodians of the athletes. Ndacha was selected after he emerged number one during a national championship held on June 11 2016 while Kasiteni finished third,” Chitembeya explained.
“It is wrong to pick Ndacha based on his participation in the Commonwealth Games as his time was around 30 minutes, yet Ndacha set a new 10,000 metres’ record at the African Championship held in Durban, South Africa where he clocked 29.39 minutes, beating Rodwell Kamwendo’s previous record.”
Assistant national team coach, Emmanuel Mlonya, yesterday said it was unfortunate that MOC has gone ahead with the choice of Kasten, saying this would give a bad impression to deserving athletes.
MOC president Oscar Kanjala referred questions pertaining to the athletes’ issue to the committee’s technical commission chairperson, John Kaputa, who had not responded to a questionnaire, sent on Thursday.
“As a board, we only get recommendations from the technical committee and athletes’ commission—technorats so to say,” Kanjala said.
MOC has since submitted the names of the Brazil-bound athletes to Malawi National Council of Sports, whose Executive Secretary, George Jana, yesterday, said there was no official complaint lodged to his office about the selected runners.
“I have just heard about this. It looks like the MOC’s decision is the correct one because this other boy [Ndacha] is not a track runner. He is more of a marathon runner. This is the information I got from the technical people,” Jana said, while referring more questions to Sports Development officer for the Central Region, Isaac Phiri.
However, Phiri refused to comment.
In a response to AAM’s concerns, MOC Secretary General, Jappie Mhango, on July 5 insisted that Kasiteni will still travel to Brazil based on 2014 Commonwealth Games results.
“Malawi Olympic Board has come up with this decision after consulting Technical and Athletes Commission who monitors performance of athletes. We wish them good luck and it is our hope that they shall improve their performance too with your support,” Mhango replied to AAM.
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