FDH Bank Plc has donated K100 million to Tertiary Education Students Sports Association of Malawi (TESSAM) ahead of the 22nd Conference of Universities and Colleges Sports Association (CUCSA) games to be held in Gaborone, Botswana from June 28 to July 5.

The tournament will feature teams from Angola, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Team Malawi is expected to depart on June 26.

Speaking during the cheque handover ceremony in Blantyre on Thursday, FDH Marketing Manager Tiyese Kaimila said the donation is part of the Bank’s commitment to supporting sports development in the country.

“We are a bank that is in sports. We are quite interested and always there to support our community, our country, especially nurturing the talent of our Malawian people. It is an opportunity for the young athletes to participate and face their university mates at an international stage,” said Kaimila.

He urged the athletes to give their best and make the country proud.

“Bring us the results home. You are carrying the FDH brand. You are carrying the FDH flag. Above all, you are carrying Malawi flag,” said Kaimila

TESSAM president Lameck Zetu Khonje welcomed the donation, saying it comes at a crucial time as the association relies heavily on sponsorship support from tertiary institutions.

He expressed confidence in the team’s ability to perform well at the tournament.

“I am very happy that FDH Bank has given us K100 million, which will enable us to travel to Botswana and compete with the other universities in Southern Africa in various sporting courts.”

“Our preparations have been top-notch. We asked top-notch coaches in various sporting courts to drill our efforts, chose the best from all tertiary institutions in Malawi, and they assembled the team,” said Khonje.

Students’ representative Prince Kachitsa said the athletes are ready for the competition and optimistic about winning medals.

“We are going to compete and come back with medals. We are fully prepared,” said Kachitsa.

The Malawian team comprises 137 athletes who will compete in basketball, volleyball, chess , athletics, and football for both men and women.