Malawi’s Athletes Shine at the 2024 Paralympic Games
The Parasport Against Stigma (PSAS) project, a collaborative effort between the University of Malawi, Loughborough University in London, and the Malawi Paralympic Committee, has been implementing an inclusive education initiative through sports in secondary and primary schools in Malawi. As a result, young athletes with disabilities have been identified and trained to compete at the Paralympic Games level. This year, Malawi was represented by two athletes: Esther Nagoli in the women’s T12 200 metres and Moses Misoya in the men’s T13 400 metres. The games were held in Paris, France, from 28th August to 8th September 2024.
During the games, Esther Nagoli finished in 4th place, improving her personal record by a few seconds. Esther missed the bronze medal by 5 seconds, while Misoya was 7 seconds behind the gold medalist.
The President of the Malawi Paralympic Committee, Mr. James Chiutsi, expressed excitement over the athletes’ performances, praising them for their remarkable achievements in breaking personal records. “We are very confident that in the next games, they will compete well and excel,” he said. He urged society to provide more opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in sports. He also expressed gratitude to various stakeholders who supported the athletes financially.
Commenting on Malawi’s success at the Paris Paralympic Games, Dr. Mufunanji Magalasi, Principal Investigator of the UNIMA PSAS project and Executive Dean of the School of Arts, Communication, and Design, remarked: “The success of Esther Nagoli and Moses Misoya on the global Paralympic stage is a testament to the positive role our University is playing in addressing national social development issues, such as reducing the stigma faced by people with disabilities.”
Esther Nagoli and Moses Misoya have now become role models for success among individuals with disabilities.