Super League of Malawi (Sulom) says it has opened the nomination process of candidates for its upcoming elections scheduled for February 25 in Mangochi.

The association’s general secretary (GS) Williams Banda said nominations opened on January 20 and will run up to February 11.

“This is in accordance with our constitution that nomination should be done within 21 days,” he said.

Banda also said the expectation is that clubs will nominate candidates that will add value to the running of the flagship league.

Delegates during the previous Sulom AGM

On whether he will seek re-election, he said: “Article 43 empowers teams to nominate candidates for Sulom positions and should teams nominate me, I am more than willing to serve.

“It is the clubs that will give me mandate based on how we worked.”

Incumbent president Tiya Somba-Banda has also declared interest to seek re-election.

In an interview yesterday, he said: “I have listened to the clubs’ aspirations and I am duty-bound to lead them in football progression they desire.”

During the previous elections, Somba-Banda was ushered in unopposed, but Nyasa Big Bullets vice-president Fleetwood Haiya is also being strongly linked with the Sulom top seat.

In an interview yesterday, Haiya confirmed having been approached by a number of clubs, “but I am still consulting relevant stakeholders and I should come up with a position very soon”.

Sulom treasurer Malinda Chinyama was the first member of the incumbent team to declare interest on seeking re-election.

Last week, Civil Service United GS Ronald Chiwaula and Blue Eagles vice-GS Gomezgani Mchawi also declared their interest to vie for executive committee member and legal adviser positions, respectively.

The current Sulom executive was ushered into office in 2019 and is about to complete its four-year term.

Among others, the incumbent leadership promised to source a package for Malawi’s representatives at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League, establish a full-fledged secretariat, complete with a chief executive officer.

They also pledged to introduce e-ticketing, campaign for improved gate revenue shares for clubs, refurbish Chilomoni Stadium in Blantyre to help clubs have improved share from gate revenue and create and harness a conducive envioroment for commercialisation of clubs.

However, none of these has been met, but recently Somba-Banda announced that part of the K100 million grant from Football Association of Malawi would go towards the promised CAF Champions League package and cementing their drive to professionalise the league.

The Sulom leadership has, nevertheless, generated revenue for clubs through television broadcasting rights sales and negotiated for an improved TNM Super League sponsorship package from K90 million to K100 million, leading to an increase in the champions’ prize from K15 million to K40 million.

The post Sulom opens nominations first appeared on The Nation Online.

The post Sulom opens nominations appeared first on The Nation Online.