Malawi Olympic Committee (Moc) President Jappie Mhango has lamented Team Malawi’s failure at major events, attributing it to several factors such as lack of support, and technical and infrastructure development.

Mhango, speaking during the body’s annual general meeting (AGM) at Mount Soche Hotel in Blantyre on Saturday, said the country must up its game to get the desired results at the global stage.

“I wish to indicate that as much as we have made significant strides to improve the overall sports governance on a number of fronts, we are very much behind in terms of podium performance and yet this is a key performance indicator in our strategic plan

“Our performance both at the African and Olympic games was to say the least very disappointing. A number of factors are contributing towards this underperformance and these include lack of adequate investment in both infrastructure development, coaches’ capacity and athlete development,” he said.

Mhango appealed to the government to take the lead in ensuring that resources were made available.

“Otherwise, we will remain perpetual underachievers in sports in our region and beyond. We are mindful that efforts are being made to provide modern infrastructure for which we are very thankful. We believe however, that much more can be done. We are aware of the current economic situation globally and as a country we are not spared, but considering that sports is a big industry, let us invest,” he said.

During the AGM, Moc Secretary General Henry Sakala highlighted a number of projects which the body undertook.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports through the Director of Sports Jameson Ndalama took note of the plea.

Malawi National Council of Sports Director of Finance Shephord Boma, also made a number of contributions, providing direction and insights to Moc.