Preparing for 2024 CUCSA Games: UNIMA hosts talent selection matches

As part of the preparations for the Confederation of Universities and Colleges Sports Association (CUCSA) games scheduled for July 2024 in South Africa, the University of Malawi, on 6th April, 2024, hosted sports games aimed at selecting talent from the various sportsmen and women within tertiary institutions in the country. The initiative, organized by the Tertiary Education Students Sports Association of Malawi (TESSAM), aimed to select top players to represent Malawi across various sports categories such as football, netball, athletics, tennis, volleyball, and chess. This selection process focused on talented students from universities and colleges in the Southern Region of Malawi.

The participating institutions in this process included the University of Malawi, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Catholic University, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, DMI from Mangochi Campus, Domasi College of Education, and Malawi College of Accountancy. Following the selection, chosen students will join those identified as the best players from universities and colleges in the Northern and Central regions of Malawi, whose selection occurred at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Mr. Courtex Nzima, Sports Officer at UNIMA, highlighted that the final teams formed from these selection processes will compete against other teams within Malawi. This local competition aims to help the teams identify areas for improvement before they depart for South Africa. He also shared that the teams are being selected by professionals and renowned individuals in sports. 

Mrs. Joana Kachirika, coach for Malawi Netball team – the Queens – who was tasked with selecting the netball team pointed out that she focused on specific qualities. 

“My primary focus is on the height of the players and their performance. Reflecting on the previous CUCSA games hosted by Malawi, we encountered challenges due to the height of our players. This time, we have a good number of players with adequate height, although not as tall as those from other participating countries. However, with thorough preparations, our team can perform well, and we anticipate positive results.”

The CUCSA games provides yet another opportunity to UNIMA students who will be amongst those selected to showcase their skills and talent on an international platform.