By: Lloyd M’bwana
The country’s sore netball export Mwawi Kumwenda is leading the votes for the 2015 International World Games Association (IWGA) awards slated for February 1, 2016.
The development just comes barely two weeks before the voting closes on January 31 such that Mwawi’s nomination for the awards attracted high profile figures in the country including the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) President Lazarus Chakwera which in a rare case left aside political bickering when he appealed Malawians and Africans to vote for Kumwenda.
In an article IWGA published on its website dated Thursday, January 14, 2016, Mwawi was leading the 18 nominees’ list with votes followed by Russian dance couple Dimitry Zharkov and Olga Kulikova with 2,448 votes whereby the third place is currently held by the Flying Disc Beach Ultimate Mixed Team from Germany with 1,570.
The IWGA website says the results were only preliminary since the voting was still on progress after just 10 days it opened with only two weeks to go before it closes.
“The tile race is still open. When it comes to choosing the IWGA Athlete/Team of the year, the decisive has not yet been casted. Until January 31st supporters can still help their favourite athletes to win by voting on our website. Those who know how to mobilize their supporters can still come out on top.
“However, you can give one vote for your candidate once every 24 hours. If you provide us your name, surname and e-mail address and agree to receive our newsletter you will be able to give two votes at once instead of only one (see details in the confirmation email you will receive)”, concludes the IWGA’s article.
Malawians commenting on the website continues to drumming support for the netballer asking more votes to be casted across the global though there were fears that voting patterns in Malawi would not be that attractive but with the reports that Mwawi was leading, it’s an encouragement.
Fiskani Triza wrote on the website, “Our Mwawi, our luck. Malawian luck. African luck. Go girl, Go!”, while Abbie Nkhonjera Siula simply writes, “Our Africa, our pride…Vote for Mwawi, vote for Malawi”.
International Netball Federation (INF) nominated Mwawi after impressing during the 2015 World Netball Cup in New Zealand where she was voted player of the tournament with thereafter the country’s leading telecommunication service provider, Airtel Malawi on January 6, indorsed the sole her as its company’s campaign ambassador for the nation replacing Ivory Cost international soccer star Yaya Toure.
Mwawi the only an African nominee is among 18 shortlisted athletes from a cross-section of sports discipline across the world whereby the general public through IWGA’s website, https://www.theworldgames.org/ will vote for an ultimate winner whose actual prize is yet to be known in due course.
According to INF secretariat had set up an extensive social media campaign to garner support for Mwawi a head of the voting window whose deadline is January 31 and the winner will be announced on February 1, 2016.
Czech Republic’s Adam Ondra won the 2014 award after excelling in the sport of climbing. The International World Games Association is an organization recognized by the International Olympic Committee whose aim is to develop the popularity of sports governed by its 37-member federations including INF. And IWGA’s objective is to conserve traditional values of sports through The World Games which take place every four years
