According to the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Francis Phiso, the construction of the national stadium in Blantyre will start next year, as funds for the first phase of the construction will be allocated in the next National Budget.

“Be assured that the Blantyre National Stadium project will be implemented. We will roll out the construction work next year because its funds will be allocated in the next financial year,” he said during a consultative meeting on sports sponsorship which his ministry had with the corporate world in Mzuzu.

On the other hand, as parliament approved the construction of stadia for privately-owned football teams Nyasa Big Bullets and Be Forward Wanderers, the minister said the government failed to implement the national stadium due to the stadia. Also keeping government busy was the indoor netball court project in Blantyre, rehabilitation of Kamuzu Institute of Sports (KIS) and construction of Mzuzu Youth Centre.

Meanwhile the construction of the national stadium has been said to be a project that will take longer because being a modern facility, it will take over 50 000 spectators.