By John Machila
Community leaders, police, and football officials in Karonga have hailed the Bishop’s Peace Trophy for significantly contributing to peace building and talent development.
In an interview Saturday after the finals of the K21 million trophy at Kasoba in the area of Paramount Chief Kyungu, Vicar General of the Diocese of Karonga, Laurent Dziko, said the Church is satisfied with the behavioural transformation seen among teams and communities.
“Out of the 52 teams that registered, none was expelled. They followed procedures and maintained discipline. Not only the players but also their villages behaved peacefully. We feel we have achieved what we wanted,” Dziko said.
Father Dziko confirmed plans to expand the tournament next year to cover the entire Diocese in Chitipa, Rumphi and Karonga.
“Though we may not have enough money, the package will not be less than K20 million. The chiefs emphasized peace and reminded people to live in harmony without malpractice or mob justice. Everyone needs peace,” Ziko said.Senior Chief Kalonga said the tournament has helped keep young people engaged during a season often associated with violence and harmful behaviour.
“The tournament has helped promote peace. During summer, most youths engage in unacceptable behaviour, and this is when many deaths occur due to suspicions of witchcraft and related malpractices. However, this year, they were busy with football and we haven’t seen much of such cases,” Kalonga said.
He appealed to well-wishers and the corporate sector to emulate the Diocese of Karonga by supporting similar youth empowering initiatives.
Officer-in-Charge for Karonga Police Station, Kelvin Mulezo, echoed the chief’s sentiments, noting that despite a recent uptick in violence, the Bishop’s Peace Trophy remains a critical instrument for peace.
“The trophy is a good vehicle for promoting peace and opposing violence and as police, we fully support it,” Mulezo said.Mulezo stressed the central role of traditional leaders in sustaining efforts towards peace.
Chairperson for Northern Region Football Association, Masiya Nyasulu, said the competition is exposing skilful players who were previously unnoticed.
He urged Super League and National Division teams to take advantage of such platforms by deploying scouts to rural areas.
“This trophy has reached areas where football was not there and I’m impressed. Such trophies are important to football development in Malawi. These players are hardworking. Teams should send scouts to identify talent that can eventually feature in top leagues,” Nyasulu said.
The match ended with Malungo FC uplifting the trophy worth after defeating Chikango FC 3-2 on penalties shoot out.
