All is set for the inaugural Inter-Company Sports Festival scheduled for today at Country Club Limbe (CCL) in Blantyre.

Over 10 companies and organisations are from this morning set to compete in different sports codes, including football, basketball, netball, volleyball, tennis, chess, athletics, bawo and pool.

Participating corporates include FDH Bank plc, Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra), TNM plc, Medical Aid Society of Malawi (Masm), Rab Processors, Flying Girls Malawi, CDH, NBS Bank plc, Beitcure, Five 79 and AM Global.

The one-day event, dubbed corporate carnival, has been organised by Blantyre-based marketing firms Silent Parrot and Inspire Marketing Group.

Speaking during the draw of the games at Amaryllis Hotel on Thursday, one of the organisers Mphatso Chaluluka said there has been an overwhelming response from the corporate world.

He said: “For an event happening for the first time, the response has been encouraging.

“We thank the sponsors as well as the corporates that will take part. The concept is to provide companies a platform to network as well facilitate as team building within and outside work.

“The event will be held in a family environment where apart from competing and having fun through sports, there will also be fanfare games for both adults and children.

“Drinks, beverages, snacks, music and other activities designed to make it a great family festival, have also been arranged.”

Chaluluka also  said the festival will focus on fitness and health in the workplace as such they arranged aerobics as well as blood pressure and blood sugar checks.

He said winners in team events will get trophies while for individual events, outstanding participants will be rewarded with prizes from various sponsors.

Grey Alex Chokhotho, who is responsible for the football tournament, said there are 12 teams divided in four groups of three teams each.

Group A has NBS Bank plc, Rab Processors and TNM, Group B comprises MRA, Masm and Finca, Group C  has Open Tech, Beitcure and FDH Bank plc while Group D comprises Nuka, AM Global and CDH.

Said Chokhotho: “The games will be played in a round-robin format and the top teams from each group will qualify for the semis before proceeding to the final.”

In netball, there are eight teams divided into two groups. Group A has MRA, Finca, FDH Bank and Beitcure while Group B comprises Rab Processors, NBS Bank, MA Global and Masm.

In volleyball, MRA, Beitcure, NBS Bank and FDH Bank are in Group A while FDH Bank, Masm and Finca are in Group B

Basketball organiser Sunganani Mkandawire said there are five teams namely MRA, FDH Bank, CDH, Finca and Five 79.

“They will compete in a round-robin format and the team with most points emerges the winner,” he said.

Chaluluka said the games duration would be communicated to the teams.

 He also said there is a special arrangement for basketball to be played at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences Sports Complex because there are no basketball courts at CCL.

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