Malawi National Council of Sports says it will find a way to deal with the defiant Athletics Association of Malawi (AAM) ousted executive committee following its stand not to make handovers to the caretaker committee.

Embattled AAM general secretary Frank Chitembeya said  in an interview yesterday that they did not comply with a deadline set by the council to process the handovers because they are waiting for a response from World Athletics.

But in an interview yesterday, Sports Council spokesperson Edgar Ntulumbwa said they are done with the AAM previous committee.

Ntulumbwa: We’ll
find a way

He said: “We don’t have time to argue with them. This association belongs to Malawians because it is run using public resources. It does not belong to a few individuals.

 “And if that is their stand, then let’s see what will happen…We will find a way.

“What we know is that the AAM executive committee no longer exists and they have no business to stick to the association.”

Ntulumbwa said the issue at hand provides a case study on the need for associations to enforce the newly formulated guidelines.

“If AAM was a professionally set-up entity, all this wouldn’t be happening, but it’s like this because some associations are controlled by individuals. It is like they own them,” he said.

But Chitembeya said it is Sports Council which is taking a confrontational approach.

 He said: “All we are saying is that we should wait for World Athletics to provide us with the guidance.

“We sought world athletics body’s intervention because Sports Council was not being cooperative. I reiterate that they are not supposed to interfere with our operations because there are consequences.

“We sent all the correspondence to World Athletics, including the roadmap to having elections which were scheduled for December 17.”

Sports Council announced the dissolution of the AAM executive last month over its failure to finalise amendments to the constitution and holding elections.

Part of the statement from the council, signed by immediate-past chairperson Sunduzwayo Madise, reads: “The mandate of the executive committee expired last year, but council gave them [AAM] a three-month extension period to finalise the process for the amendment of the constitution and the holding of elections.

“This development has led the association to have rival camps, thereby rendering the association dysfunctional which is detrimental to the sport, the athletes, sports in general and to the nation.”

Following the dissolution, Sports Council appointed a five-member caretaker committee led by Justice of Appeal Sylvester Kalembera with  Oscar Kanjala, Thokozile Kuwali, Chifundo Tenthani and King Rudi as members.

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