Griffin Saenda cautious
Revered Coach, Griffin Saenda Senior, who withdrew from Malawi national netball team’s trip to the Commonwealth Games in Australia on doctors’ recommendations, has called on the Queens to put up a spirited performance to avoid falling on world standings.
The Queens are in pool B at the Commonwealth Games where they will face England, Uganda, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales.
Malawi are favourites over ninth-ranked Wales and 11th-ranked Scotland but the Queens face danger from fast improving and seventh-ranked Uganda.
Heavyweights New Zealand are second on world rankings whereas England are ranked third and the two will likely stand on the Queens’ way to breaking into the top four.
“All the games are important and it calls for unity among players, technical members and officials. We must not take lightly the matches against Scotland and Wales so as to avoid upsets. We also need to tread carefully against Uganda who have improved greatly. Defeat to any of these teams will plunge us into trouble on the world rankings. We should also aim at pulling a surprise either against New Zealand or England,” he said.
The Queens were expected to arrive in Auckland, New Zealand Monday to compete in the Taini James Trophy, which is a Commonwealth Games’ warm-up event.
The tournament will run from tomorrow to Saturday.
Local-based Queens’ players have been joined by Mwawi Kumwenda of Melbourne Vixens in Australia and England’s Manchester Thunders’ Joyce Mvula.
Northumbria-bound Tigresses player Lauren Ngwira also joined the squad while in transit in Dubai. Ngwira left earlier to sort out personal issues following the transfer standoff between her side, Tigresses, and the English team.
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