Athletics Association of Malawi (AAM) President, Godfrey Phiri, has said reuniting the country’s athletics fraternity will be his first task in his second four-year term .
Phiri retained his post unopposed during AAM’s elections at Livingstonia Beach Hotel in Salima on Saturday.
The polls were initially cancelled last November after Malawi National Council of Sports noted some anomalies in the electoral process.
In the contest for the vice presidency, Northern Region Athletics Committee Chairperson, Emmanuel Mlonya, beat former AAM general secretary, Haxon Chapasa, with 18 votes to 5.
In a race that was expected to be tight, Malawi Schools Sports Association General Secretary, Blackson Malamula, failed to garner any vote despite being nominated by the Southern Region Athletics Committee (SRAC). His competitor, AAM General Secretary, Frank Chitembeya, had a clean sweep of all 23 votes.
NRAC General Secretary, Thandi Mbeya, won the post of Vice General Secretary after prevailing over then AAM vice president, Senti Banda.
Irene Luka relinquished her post of Treasurer to SRAC Chairperson, Christopher Kabwazi, after a 9-14 loss.
Central Region Athletics Committee Chairperson, John Mwathiwa, is now AAM’s Vice Treasurer after his 15-8 triumph over SRAC’s Senk Kalowekamo.
In his acceptance speech, Phiri said the run up to the elections was very divisive, hence the need for the athletics’ family to reunite.
“We may have badmouthed members of the other camp in the course of campaign, but my appeal is for all of us to forget our differences. I will personally engage all members of the family in promoting the spirit of forgiveness so that we develop the sport together,” he said.
The polls were conducted by an independent electoral body led by High Court Judge, Sylvester Kalembera, with Malawi National Council of Sports’ officials overseeing the process.
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