Sport in Malawi
Encyclopedia
Sports in Malawi
have been shaped by its history as a colony in the old British Empire
, the most popular sports coming from Britain.
Football (soccer)
is the most popular sport. It is played by boys at all levels from makeshift village playfields to prep school league competition. Malawi fields a national football team
.
Netball
has long been a popular sport for schoolgirls. Malawi is a full member of the International Federation of Netball Associations
and is currently ranked fifth internationally. The Malawi national netball team
has put Malawi on the African map, qualifying for and coming first in regional tournaments such as the COSANA tournament. Malawi have competed at two Netball World Championships
, and one Commonwealth Games
. At the 2007 Netball World Championships
, Malawi finished fifth beating strong teams such as Wales, Cooks Islands, and South Africa.
In post-colonial Malawi, other sports have been introduced into the schools. Volleyball and basketball have taken hold, principally through the efforts of Peace Corps
Volunteers from the USA in the mid 1960s. The African Bible College has further contributed to the growth of Basketball by bringing professionals from USA to hold coaching clinics and also sending some of the best players to the USA.
Athletics
and cross-country running have also been developing since Malawian independence. A pioneer in the systematic training of talented young runners is Dr. Harold Salmon, a Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Malawi from 1966-1968. From the year 2000, there has been an improvement in the quality of athletes the most notable of whom is Catherine Chikwakwa
, now based in Germany. There are other runners from the University of Malawi and the Army who have shown significant progress.
Smartex Tambala represented Malawi at the Olympic Games in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain. He competed in the Marathon
road race.
Cricket has started growing in Malawi. There is already a Malawi national cricket team and interest is growing at grass roots level.
Rugby union in Malawi
is a minor sport, but has a long history.
Other sporting fields like Tennis and Squash have recently started gaining popularity, largely owing to the exposure that Malawians are getting to these sports through TV. The Squash team participated in the 2006 Commonwealth Games
.
Korfball
is a new initiative to Malawi and the mixed element of this sport shall bring new qualities into the Malawian sport communities.
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
have been shaped by its history as a colony in the old British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, the most popular sports coming from Britain.
Football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
is the most popular sport. It is played by boys at all levels from makeshift village playfields to prep school league competition. Malawi fields a national football team
Malawi national football team
The Malawi national football team, nicknamed The Flames, is the national team of Malawi and is controlled by the Football Association of Malawi. Before 1966 they were known as the Nyasaland national football team...
.
Netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
has long been a popular sport for schoolgirls. Malawi is a full member of the International Federation of Netball Associations
International Federation of Netball Associations
International Federation of Netball Associations is the governing body for netball. The organisation has five regional areas: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. Leadership meets every two years. IFNA is responsible for world rankings, maintaining the rules for netball and organising the...
and is currently ranked fifth internationally. The Malawi national netball team
Malawi national netball team
The Malawi national netball team, nicknamed "The Queens", represent Malawi in international netball competition. Malawi have played in five World Netball Championships, famously finishing fifth in 2007. The Queens are currently coached by Edith Kaliati...
has put Malawi on the African map, qualifying for and coming first in regional tournaments such as the COSANA tournament. Malawi have competed at two Netball World Championships
Netball World Championships
The World Netball Championships is a quadrennial international netball world championship co-ordinated by the International Federation of Netball Associations , inaugurated in 1963. Since its inception the competition has been dominated primarily by the Australian national netball team and the New...
, and one Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
. At the 2007 Netball World Championships
2007 Netball World Championships
The 2007 World Netball Championships was the 12th staging of the World Netball Championships, a quadrennial international netball world championship co-ordinated by the International Federation of Netball Associations , inaugurated in 1963....
, Malawi finished fifth beating strong teams such as Wales, Cooks Islands, and South Africa.
In post-colonial Malawi, other sports have been introduced into the schools. Volleyball and basketball have taken hold, principally through the efforts of Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
Volunteers from the USA in the mid 1960s. The African Bible College has further contributed to the growth of Basketball by bringing professionals from USA to hold coaching clinics and also sending some of the best players to the USA.
Athletics
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
and cross-country running have also been developing since Malawian independence. A pioneer in the systematic training of talented young runners is Dr. Harold Salmon, a Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Malawi from 1966-1968. From the year 2000, there has been an improvement in the quality of athletes the most notable of whom is Catherine Chikwakwa
Catherine Chikwakwa
Catherine Chikwakwa is a Malawian middle/long-distance runner.-Achievements:-Personal bests:*3000 metres - 9:11.89 *5000 metres - 15:36.22 *10,000 metres - 35:03.6 -External links:...
, now based in Germany. There are other runners from the University of Malawi and the Army who have shown significant progress.
Smartex Tambala represented Malawi at the Olympic Games in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain. He competed in the Marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
road race.
Cricket has started growing in Malawi. There is already a Malawi national cricket team and interest is growing at grass roots level.
Rugby union in Malawi
Rugby union in Malawi
Rugby union in Malawi, and its predecessor state, Nyasaland, is a minor sport, albeit one with a long history.Rugby in Malawi has frequently been haphazard, for example, Blantyre RFC once undertook a tour to Mauritius. Writing back to approve the tour, the Mauritian secretary added, "Please bring...
is a minor sport, but has a long history.
Other sporting fields like Tennis and Squash have recently started gaining popularity, largely owing to the exposure that Malawians are getting to these sports through TV. The Squash team participated in the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
.
Korfball
Korfball
Korfball is a mixed gender team sport, with similarities to netball and basketball. A team consists of eight players; four female and four male. A team also includes a coach. It was founded in the Netherlands in 1902 by Nico Broekhuysen. In the Netherlands there are around 580 clubs, and over a...
is a new initiative to Malawi and the mixed element of this sport shall bring new qualities into the Malawian sport communities.