By Peter Fote in Cape Town, South Africa:
Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) budget for the Queens’ participation at the 2023 Netball World Cup finals will rise to about K300 million from K250 million, Malawi News Sport can reveal.
The development comes following revelations that the council will fork over an additional K30 million to top up on the K250 million budget to solve food and other allowances.
The Queens raised an alarm asking for allowance top up and improvement in the quality of food they were having, just hours before they met Scotland in a Group B tie in Cape Town, South Africa yesterday.
Netball Association of Malawi (president) Abigail Shariff confirmed that the girls were not happy with food such as pasta, which the Hotel is providing, as they prefer Nsima.
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“Indeed the players want nsima. The main problem is how they are preparing the meal here [in South Africa] it is full of pepper which they do not want. We have since made plan B so that the team is supplied with local food,” Shariff said.
However, council Board Chairperson Sunduzwayo Madise said they require K30 million, which was not budgeted for, to pay the girls and cater for locally prepared meal.
“We received a budget which we fully funded 100 percent. It appears that some items were omitted and the players expressed their concern. I have advised the secretariat to source funds to pay the players,” he said.
On food, Madise said they had learnt a lesson for the Queens to travel with a chef and food stuff.
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“We were given the impression that the organisers will provide everything. Next time we have to prepare well,” he said.
Meanwhile, Malawi’s Ambassador to South Africa, Stella Ndau, paid a courtesy call to the Queens, at the team’s base, Stay Easy Hotel before the senior side’s first game against Scotland.
Ndau called on the girls to give their all and win all the games.
In a related development, Queens’ FDH Bank plc have sent their delegation to offer support to the Queens.
The bank’s public relations manager Lorraine Chikhula said they are very excited with the start of the Netball World Cup finals and the Queens’ participation.
“We are in Cape Town offering them full support and we wish them all the best as the games start. Our expectations are very high and we believe The Queens will give a world class performance and bring back the cup,” she said.
The bank contributed K94 million towards the team’s preparations and participation.—Powered by Premier Loto & MNCS
