Tereza Master and Evance Nyazule have won the 25th edition of the Mount mulanje porters race in the women and men categories respectively yesterday that took place at Likhubula valley in Mulanje.
Nyazule finished the race in 2:09:30 to be crowned champion in the men’s category and walked away with MK 750,000 while Master finished the race in 2:44:57 to be crowned champion in the women category and also took home a whooping MK750,000.
Speaking at the event, the guest of honor who is also the Minister Tourism Honorable Vera Kamtukule explained that the porter’s race is an important event as it helps to promote tourism in Malawi
‘’We have to explore our own country and it is an exciting thing for me to see people from Lilongwe and Mzuzu come and take part in the porters race it is incredible. What we are lacking as far as tourism is concerned is activities, if people visit Salima what are they going to do? so for me the porter’s race was a combination of the things we have been lamenting about that we do not just want to go to Mulanje but we want to go to Mulanje and do something, so today has been very different and exciting and am very happy’’. Explained Honorable Kamtukule
Making his remarks at the event Malawi National Council of Sports Board Chairperson Dr Sunduzwayo Madise explained that the porter’s race is one of the best athletic events in the country
‘’We are very much impressed with the organization and the turn up of people, this is a tough race. I think there is need to work together the organisers, the Ministry of Tourism and sports council to see what we can do to up the game in terms of prizes and organization of the event, so we need to go to the corporate world and ask them for support’’. Explained Dr Madise
The main organizing committee chairperson Kondwani Chamwala explained that as organisers they plan to use the money, they have made during the race to support victims of Cyclone Freddy who live around the Mulanje mountain
‘’We have the minister of tourism attending this event and we have seen a lot of people coming to appreciate what Mulanje is all about, this event is all about Mulanje mountain. The people surrounding the mountain will benefit in a way that they will be able to make money through different businesses’’. Explained Chamwala.
Apart from the main race which was 25 km, other events included aerobics, fun run and an island in the sky concert.