Netball Association of Malawi (Nam) has thrown its full weight behind the Malawi National Netball Team despite failing to win a medal at the just-ended Africa Netball Cup in Swakopmund, Namibia.
For the first time since 2010, when the competition was founded, the Queens finished the race without a medal, having been relegated to fourth position following a shock 48-42 loss to Zimbabwe, who claimed silver.
Netball Association of Malawi (Nam) General Secretary Yamikani Khungwa-Kauma said the Queens were heading in the right direction, having registered some wins.
“Yes, we finished fourth, which is not a respectable position, and also suffered a big loss to Zimbabwe. Every game was a tough match as per seen during the games. However, we also had some notable wins.
“It is worth noting that we have improved our netball team’s performance and our performance in the tournament reflects this effort. There is still room for growth and improvement, particularly in terms of decision making, communication, consistency and mental toughness,” she said.
Khungwa-Kauma said Nam would endeavour to ably prepare the team for future events.
“Overall, our performance in the African tournament is a step in the right direction but we will need to continue working hard to achieve these goals,” she said.
The Nam GS also bemoaned the height of players, indicating that the association would have a deliberate policy to scout talent.
Retired netballer Neffie Kam’mata said the Queens were regressing.
“Our colleagues have a lot of new players in their squads while our squad had almost the same players. We cannot ignore experienced players but developmental ones should be in majority,” Kam’mata said.
At the tournament, the Queens defeated Zambia 52-39 before losing to eventual champions South Africa 65-35.
Malawi bounced back from defeat to beat Kenya 60-30 but lost to Uganda 51-43 in the semifinals.
The Queens will return to action in February as they have been invited for Quad Series to be held in the United Kingdom.
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