Minister of Information, Civic Education and Communications Technology, Mark Botomani has pleaded with different stake holders to invest in youth related activities with the aim of promoting the welfare of the youth in the country.

The minister said this over the weekend at Matiya primary school ground in the area of Traditional Authority Mwambo during the launch of K4 million Mark Botomani football trophy to be competed among the teams in Zomba Chisi constituency where he is the Member of Parliament for the area.

He said such initiative will assist in keeping the youth busy rather than indulging themselves in promiscuous activities that might put their lives at risk.

Botomani said: “The majority of people are the youth so I believe such initiative will assist in promoting their welfare and I am just complimenting government’s programs of ensuring that the welfare of the youth is promoted.”

Commenting on the development, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Francis Phiso, who was the guest of honor during the event, expressed gratitude with the initiative saying it will help in promoting the hidden talent of the rural youth which in turn will also promote the development of sports in the country.

“This is commendable because it’s one way of complimenting government’s initiative of promoting different sports disciplines from the grassroots level more especially in the rural areas,” Phiso said.

He further expressed hope that if more resources are invested in the game of football, then the sport will become a reliable career which in turn will employ the youth.

Mighty Be Forward Wanderers players, Misheck Botomani, Denis Chembezi, Simeon Singa and Francis Nkonda were in attendance as role models to the youth.

Spicing the event, Matiya and Saiti football clubs played a goalless draw while the game between Sayima and Nankhuni football clubs ended 1-1.