Botswana hires Griffin Saenda
Revered Malawi national netball team Head Coach Griffin Saenda Senior’s international reputation continues to grow in leaps and bounds, with Botswana Netball Association (Bona) inviting him to help out with selection of players for that country’s national team.
Saenda left for Botswana on Tuesday for 10 days to monitor games involving that country’s top clubs.
Netball Association of Malawi (Nam) General Secretary, Carol Bapu, said Botswana made the request based on Saenda’s vast experience.
“Our Botswana counterparts asked us to release Mr Saenda, and we took it up with his employer, Malawi National Council of Sports. We are grateful that he was released in line with our request and he is in Botswana,” Bapu said.
In a telephone interview from Gaborone, Bona President, Malebo Raditladi, yesterday confirmed that they had hired Saenda.
“He is here because of the relationship we have with Malawi netball association [Nam]. We feel that he is one of the top coaches that can help us add value to our team. We have seen how he has developed Malawi netball to be where it is. We spoke to Malawi netball association to borrow us Saenda so as to help us with the selection of the national team,” Raditladi said.
Saenda also coaches Kukoma Diamonds but the Blantyre club’s Chairperson, Isaac Chimwala, declined to comment on the mentor’s trip to Botswana.
“I am just hearing about this from various sources. But, as Diamonds chairman, I do not have any official information,” Chimwala said.
Saenda has followed the footsteps of another local legend, Mary Waya, who also coached teams in Tanzania and the United Kingdom, in what is recognition of their vast experience.
The Regional Sports Development Officer for the Southern Region [Saenda] only returned to coaching last month after missing out in the last quarter of 2017 due to an illness.
Saenda has since been re-appointed to take charge of the Queens for the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast City, Australia, in April.
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