By Edwin Mbewe
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Griffin Saenda Indoor Sports Complex which is currently under construction in the Capital, Lilongwe is said to be fully completed in March,2023.
This was revealed on Saturday March 27,2022 at the construction site where the Architect and the contractor met Indoor Sports Associations such as Basketball, Boxing, Netball and Taekwando.
The aim of the meeting, according to the Architect of the facility Arthur Chiphiko, was to give the Associations opportunity to say their views on how the facility should look like to incorporate their sport.
Chiphiko added that the facility will be fully completed in March 2023 but was upbeat that the facility will be able to host the regional 5 games which the country is hosting in December this year.
“There are so many challenges on the project such as issues of scope change as previously this facility was meant for netball only but not 14 sports disciplines which are currently required to be incorporated hence some changes in the process which is not easy at all, but we are striving to make it usable this coming December.
“The other challenge is financing which led the Contractor to boycott the site twice. Again the time we started the project we did not have documentations, structural drawing, engineering for example,it was tendered and awarded before the drawings were done so the changes have come up because of the design issue and scope change”, says Chiphiko.
Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) general Secretary Isaac Chimwala says the meeting was an eye opener on how each sporting discipline will have it’s own perimeter and equipment.
He also said from what he saw at the site,he is confident that the facility will be ready for Regional 5 games.
Chimwala added the Griffin Saenda Sport Complex which primarily was meant for netball has come at right time.
“Malawi Netball national team ” THE QUEENS” will be able to host their fellow netball powerhouses like England, Australia,New Zealand, Jamaica and South Africa because they have international standard netball court now.
“This is an open secret very known fact that Malawi is one of the best net balling nations in the world and yet it hasn’t facility of this kind which makes it impossible to invite other netball nations like,South Africa,England, New Zealand,” he said.
“For first time now Malawi will be hosting international tournaments which will help the nation in Forex since Tourism industry will grow and at the same time our girls will be scouted hence we expect to send many girls to professional netball”, Chimwala said.
