The government has released K70 million to enable Paralympics athletes to travel and participate in 2024 Paris Paralympics Games in France.
This was disclosed during the send-off ceremony for the athletes at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe yesterday.
The Games are slated to take place from August 28 to September 8 in Paris, France.
Team Malawi, comprising 10 people, is expected to leave for the European country today.
The money will cater for air tickets and allowances of the athletes and officials.
Malawi Paralympics Committee (MPC) Chairperson James Chiutsi hailed government, the Irish Embassy, K2 Transformers and other companies for making the trip possible.
“The team has prepared well for the Games. The team is ready to give everything to fight for medals and make Malawi proud,” Chiutsi said.
The Irish Embassy also donated K5.3 million to MPC towards the athletes’ trip to France.
In his remarks, Minister of Youth and Sports Uchizi Mkandawire was confident that the athletes would perform well at the Games.
“We have not done well in international games and this could be a turning point to rewrite our history. Para sport has shown great potential to bring medals home, looking at how some athletes performed during the qualifying games where Mphatso Saukire and Taonere Banda qualified for the Games,” Mkandawire said.
Deputy Director of Administration in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Esther Ng’ong’ola said Paralympics athletes had shown great potential at international events.
“The athletes deserve enough support from all of us as they have done well at many international tournaments,” Ng’ong’ola said.
Apart from Saukire and Banda, Moses Misoya and Estere Nagoli are expected to take part in the Games. Charles Luciao and Agness Chikwakwa will travel to France as guide and coach, respectively.
John Kayange will accompany the team as assistant coach.
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