By Suleman Chitera | Lilongwe, June 27
Civo Service United is calling on schools and parents across Malawi to actively involve children in sports as a way of nurturing talent, building discipline, and inspiring future careers in athletics.
This message was delivered by Civo’s Head Coach, Emmanuel Zoya, during a vibrant youth sports engagement event held on Friday at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe. The club hosted learners from various schools, offering them the opportunity to interact with professional footballers and engage in different sporting activities.
Coach Zoya described the event as a morale-booster not only for the children but also for the players themselves.
“The children coming to play and interact with our players here at Civo Service Club has given us encouragement to work even harder than before and perform greatly during our games,” Zoya said. “We believe that children should be given a chance to know more about sports activities as a career by taking inspiration from notable players of big teams in the country.”
He emphasized the importance of early exposure to sports as a way of encouraging young people to dream big and aim for professional sports careers.
One of the participating schools, Little Buddy and Friends, echoed this message through its Director, Khumbo Kachali, who underlined the value of integrating sports into a child’s education and social development.
“The main purpose of coming here to Civo Stadium was to teach our learners that apart from just participating in sports, there are also other career-wise opportunities they can look at,” Kachali said. “They can aspire to become like Tabitha Chawinga, Gabadinho Mhango, or Mwai Kumwenda and put Malawi on the map.”
She added that her school runs termly sports themes, allowing learners to regularly engage in physical activities that also promote teamwork and social engagement.
Kachali further emphasized that sports play a key role in building interpersonal skills that extend beyond the field.
“Sports help children develop social skills from a young age, which are beneficial in various life settings like weddings, church activities, and other communal engagements,” she said.
Both Zoya and Kachali urged other schools and parents to adopt similar initiatives to inspire children and help them realize the wider benefits of sports—ranging from career growth to physical and social development.
The event marks yet another step by Civo Service Club in its commitment to youth development and community outreach through sport.
