Blantyre, September 29: Two of the biggest soccer clubs based in the Malawi commercial city of Blantyre have cried foul over government plans to demolish Kamuzu Stadium and reconstruct a new one saying the move will economically affect them.
The clubs, Big Bullets and Mighty Wanderers uses the stadium as their home ground and in the event the decision is implemented they will have to fulfil their fixtures elsewhere outside the city.
Wanderers General Secretary, Mike Butao said though construction of the new stadium is a welcome development demolishing the current structure will worsen the shortage of quality soccer venues in the Blantyre.
“There is already lack of venues in the Southern Region particularly in Blantyre. We already incur high costs when travelling to Balaka, Nchalo and Lilongwe.
His Bullets counterpart Harlod Fote sounded the similar sentiments.
The clubs, Big Bullets and Mighty Wanderers uses the stadium as their home ground and in the event the decision is implemented they will have to fulfil their fixtures elsewhere outside the city.
Wanderers General Secretary, Mike Butao said though construction of the new stadium is a welcome development demolishing the current structure will worsen the shortage of quality soccer venues in the Blantyre.
“There is already lack of venues in the Southern Region particularly in Blantyre. We already incur high costs when travelling to Balaka, Nchalo and Lilongwe.
His Bullets counterpart Harlod Fote sounded the similar sentiments.
“It will be costly on the part of the clubs like ours which do not have corporate sponsorship to regularly travel outside Blantyre to play matches,” said Fote.
They both proposed that there was need for government to construct the new stadium elsewhere in the city and consider the possibility of rehabilitating the Kamuzu Stadium.
Commenting on the same chairperson of Azam Tigers football club, Sydney Chikoti said the new structure was for the sake of development as such a painful measure has to be implemented.
“I think sometimes for the sake of development, we need to take a bitter pill, government needs to be applauded,” he said.
However in the interim, he proposed the need for authorities to the possibility of rehabilitating BAT ground to ease scarcity of standard pitches in the city.
But the only challenge with BAT is that it is very small as such the two clubs will heavily bear the brunt considering the huge fan base they have, the fact Chikoti acknowledged.
Malawi FA President, Walter Nyamilandu Manda also agreed with Chikoti sentiments.
“Challenges will always be there ,it is like when a road is under rehabilitation or construction motorists are somehow affected,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Sports, Grace Chiumia has said authorities are still consulting on the matter and played down fears that the reconstruction of new stadium will take lengthy period to be finalised.
“As I said, the matter is still under consultation and we are open to suggestions, but the process of demolition and construction of a new one will not take long.
Nevertheless, I will be able to come with concrete resolution from the meeting on Monday,” explained Chiumia.
They both proposed that there was need for government to construct the new stadium elsewhere in the city and consider the possibility of rehabilitating the Kamuzu Stadium.
Commenting on the same chairperson of Azam Tigers football club, Sydney Chikoti said the new structure was for the sake of development as such a painful measure has to be implemented.
“I think sometimes for the sake of development, we need to take a bitter pill, government needs to be applauded,” he said.
However in the interim, he proposed the need for authorities to the possibility of rehabilitating BAT ground to ease scarcity of standard pitches in the city.
But the only challenge with BAT is that it is very small as such the two clubs will heavily bear the brunt considering the huge fan base they have, the fact Chikoti acknowledged.
Malawi FA President, Walter Nyamilandu Manda also agreed with Chikoti sentiments.
“Challenges will always be there ,it is like when a road is under rehabilitation or construction motorists are somehow affected,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Sports, Grace Chiumia has said authorities are still consulting on the matter and played down fears that the reconstruction of new stadium will take lengthy period to be finalised.
“As I said, the matter is still under consultation and we are open to suggestions, but the process of demolition and construction of a new one will not take long.
Nevertheless, I will be able to come with concrete resolution from the meeting on Monday,” explained Chiumia.
By: Joel Chirwa
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