Asimenye Simwaka, Malawi’s short-distance runner, will compete in round two of the women’s 400m race this afternoon at the ongoing 2024 African Games in Accra, Ghana. The race will start at 18:30 (Malawi time). If Simwaka finishes in the top three in her heat, she will qualify for the next round of the competition.
In the first round, Simwaka impressed everyone with her performance. She finished second in her heat with a time of 53:32, just behind Mary Moraa from Kenya who finished with a time of 52:18.
On the other hand, Malawi’s male athlete, Stern Lifa, failed to qualify for the next round of the men’s 100m event. Lifa finished in fourth position in his heat, recording a time of 10:68. To advance to the next stage, he needed to finish in the top three. Lifa will have another chance to compete in the men’s 200m on Friday.
In the Taekwondo under 68kg category, Malawi’s athlete, Joseph Phiri Jnr, lost to Okowange Angala of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This result means that Phiri has been eliminated from the competition. However, his compatriot, Vester Banda, will compete on Thursday.
In boxing, Lewis Zakeyu Mbewe lost by unanimous points to Adbelazizi Gomma of Egypt. His counterpart, Elias Bonzo, also lost to Mathias Napaonga of Burundi. However, the results of the Bonzo vs Napaonga match are being challenged by the Malawi delegation. They have filed a complaint to the Africa Games technical committee contesting the result.
So far, Malawi has been eliminated in Judo, Swimming, and boxing (pending the determination of the complaint). The country’s hopes for medals at the 13th edition of the Africa Games lie in athletics and Taekwondo.