BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-In a major breakthrough for Malawi’s sports development, FDH Bank has stepped in with a substantial K360 million sponsorship to reinvigorate secondary school football, a long neglected but vital segment of grassroots football development.
The deal, unveiled on Tuesday, July 30, in Blantyre, was praised by the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) and the Malawi Schools Sports Association (MASSA), which will coordinate the competitions.
FAM President Fleetwood Haiya described the sponsorship as a game changer, highlighting how the absence of consistent school football programs had crippled the country’s talent pipeline for over a decade.
He pointed out that Malawi lost valuable momentum after sponsors like Coca-Cola and Airtel Rising Stars withdrew, leaving the grassroots system fragmented and underfunded.
“We cannot talk about elite football without a strong grassroots foundation. This partnership with FDH Bank brings back hope and restores a critical bridge between primary school talent and professional football,” Haiya said.
He emphasized that this initiative fulfills one of FAM’s strategic goals of forming development partnerships, with MASSA being central to that vision.
MASSA President Blackson Malamula echoed Haiya’s sentiments, expressing optimism that the sponsorship would restore structure and energy to inter-school competitions.
“FDH Bank has not just revived football; they’ve given thousands of students a second chance to dream,” said Malamula.
The program is expected to benefit schools across all regions of Malawi and will include training workshops for coaches and referees to raise the standards of the game at grassroots level.
FDH Bank Plc’s Senior Marketing and Communications Manager Ronald Chimchere said the initiative is rooted in the bank’s long standing commitment to youth empowerment through sport.
“We have always believed in developing talent from the ground up. There has been a gap between the Mayor’s Trophy in primary schools and national competitions. Many players had nowhere to go after leaving primary school. We’re here to fill that gap,” said Chimchere.