UNIMA triumphs at PUSSAM Festival 2023

Much as the University of Malawi is known widely for its provision of high-quality education, the institution has in the past years also registered successes in various extracurricular activities. Sports is one category where UNIMA’s sportsmen, both staff and students, often bring home an array of medals and trophies. Among the recurring sports events where the institution often shines are the sports festivals where sportsmen from different universities get to compete, whether within Malawi or the SADC region.

UNIMA’s sportsmen and women recently displayed their excellence once again, when they participated in the 3rd Public Universities Staff Sports Association (PUSSAM) festival, which was held at Mzuzu University on May 27th, 2023. The festival was organized under the theme of ‘Strength in Togetherness’, reflecting the comradeship that characterizes the games. PUSSAM comprises public universities and colleges such as UNIMA, Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), Mzuzu University (MZUNI), Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) and Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHES). Over 300 sportsmen and women competed in various sporting codes including football, netball, darts, bawo, chess, nguli, athletics and draughts.

During the opening ceremony, Mr. Herbert Mpando, the President of PUSSAM, emphasized that the aim of these games is to bring individuals working in various universities together to socialize and share ideas. He urged all the participants not to view their opponents as competitors but as brothers and sisters.

UNIMA’s impressive performance earned the admiration of the organizers, as they returned home with 19 medals from the games. The football and volleyball teams emerged champions, each taking home a gold trophy. The netball team secured second position, claiming a silver medal. The chess players also secured the second position, whereas draughts players managed to attain the third position. Bawo players managed to secure third place, while pool players secured second place and athletics secured the third position. The award presentation featured captivating cultural dance performances from various universities during the night.

The UNIMA staff were overjoyed with their awards. Mr. Martin Likongwe, The President of the University of Malawi Sports Staff Association (UMSSA), expressed his gratitude to the university management for their unwavering financial support to all the sportsmen and women during their participation in Mzuzu. He also applauded the team for bringing home trophies and expressed his gratitude to all the sportsmen and women for their hard work, team spirit and commitment that made it possible for them to win all those trophies.

The organizers reminded the teams about the upcoming Southern African Universities Staff Sports Association (SAUSSA) games, which will be held at North West University, Mafikeng Campus, South Africa in December this year. As usual, University of Malawi intends to send its sportsmen and women to participate.