Thomson Sport-sponsored football team rejoin Malawi league
SM Galaxy Football Club - a charity based in Ndirande, a township near the city of Blantyre in Malawi – have rejoined the Malawian national football league for the first time in two years, thanks to sponsorship from Thomson Sport.
The team – which was formed in 2002 by Sam Mchombo, a Malawian-born Associate Professor of African Languages and Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley – had been unable to meet basic operational costs for some time and was repeatedly refused entry into Division One – the third tier of the national league – because they could not afford football kit.
After writing to Thomson Sport to appeal for help, SM Galaxy have been fully kitted out in a new team strip, and have begun training for the 2010/11 season.
Bright Sisseo, manager of the team said: “Preparations for the new season are going well. We cannot believe that through Thomson Sport we are getting back in the league. This year is the year of achieving goals in our charity activities for SM Galaxy.”
The club consists of both a senior squad of 30 players and an under 14’s team, with all players encouraged to participate in the variety of charity work that SM Galaxy FC is engaged in. Recent activities include clearing land on top of Ndirande Hill to build a new Church, the cleaning of local residential areas, and visiting hospitals, prisons, primary schools and orphan care centres.
The inclusion of younger members of the team is founded on a commitment towards engaging local youths in the development of the country, teaching them the value and responsibility of supporting their community as adults.
Thomson Sport’s Nathan Wilson said: “We’re delighted to be supporting SM Galaxy FC. Like the FIFA World Cup, SM Galaxy’s work shows how important a role sport can play in developing communities and improving the lives of the people that live in them. As we saw in the Football World Cup, the continent of Africa is very passionate about football and this is very apparent with the players and supporters of SM Galaxy FC.”
