By Chisomo Phiri

The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Fleetwood Haiya has hailed National Bank of Malawi (NBM) Plc for introducing the Under-23 National Football Tournament, describing the initiative as a vital step towards nurturing grassroots talent and creating more opportunities for young players.

Haiya made the remarks on Saturday during the launch of the K500 million tournament at Mangochi Stadium.

The FAM boss said the sponsorship will play a crucial role in exposing young talent and giving coaches and scouts a chance to identify future stars.

“The coming in of NBM with this sponsorship will help expose young talent, enabling coaches and scouts to identify promising players.

“As you may know, we have the Under-20 league, but beyond that, there is no competition at the national level.

“This league will provide those graduating from Under-20 an opportunity to continue competing,” said Haiya.

On his part, NBM Plc Chief Risk Officer(CRO) Charles Ulaya reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to youth empowerment, noting that the future of the country rests in the hands of the younger generation.

“We believe in youth empowerment because the future of the country lies in their hands.We want them to be healthy and fit so they can effectively contribute to national development,” said Ulaya.

The launch was spiced up with an entertaining match in which Mangochi All Stars defeated Chawe Bullets 2-0.