Taekwondo female athlete Veronica Manda has become the first Malawian to win gold this year at the ongoing African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 under 20 youth games in Maseru Lesotho.
Manda won the gold after defeating athletes from Swaziland, Botswana and Lesotho respectively yesterday afternoon at Matsokoane barracks.
In her first fight Manda was so lethal that she did not gave her opponent from Swaziland any chance as managed to win by 37 to 11 points. Her performance led to Word Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) officials to delay her next fight as they needed her to take a taste to see if she had taken any performance enhancer drugs.
After her test had come out negative Manda was unstoppable as she unleashed terror on her opponent, winning with a large margin in her second fight. In her third and last match her opponent could not stand her as she displayed mesmerizing skills and won the fight by a technical knock out to claim first gold for team Malawi.
In boxing, Josephy Sean who was fighting in the 46-48 kg category has managed to win bronze, while Josephy Kanyinji fighting in the 48-51 kg category has also won bronze, Ledson Patson fighting in the 51-54 kg category has also bagged bronze, Luwis Mbewe fighting in the 60-63 kg category also won bronze and Ivy Mkandawire fighting in the 45-48 kg category has also won bronze for team Malawi.
Meanwhile the Malawi under 17 national football team has won bronze for finishing third in boy’s football at the tournament after defeating Eswatini 4 -0 yesterday evening.
In netball the Malawi under 20 netball national team beat Zambia by 42 to 31 baskets to book themselves a place in the final where they face rivals South Africa today from 10:00 hours.
In tennis girl’s doubles, Diana Nyirenda and Bridget Kaunda lost their match to South Africa’s Sarah Millard and Line Greyling 0-6,0-6.
