By Praise Majawa:
The Netball Association of Malawi (Nam) has selected 40 players for a High-Performance Development Programme in a major step towards rebuilding the country’s national team talent pipeline.
The players were selected from 100 athletes who attended an eight-day Final National Selection Camp held in Lilongwe from August 19 to 26 under the One Nico Talent Scouting Programme.
The initiative, which is part of Nam’s long-term player development programme, is aimed at identifying and nurturing talent capable of competing at the highest level while addressing some of the physical and technical demands of modern international netball According to a statement signed by Nam General Secretary Yamikani Kauma, the players underwent intensive technical, tactical, physical and psychological assessments during the camp.
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The selection panel considered technical ability, tactical awareness, athleticism, coachability and long-term development potential, with height and physical attributes receiving particular attention.
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Of the 40 players selected, 21—representing 52.5 percent—are estimated to be at least 177 centimetres tall.
Nam says the emphasis on height is informed by the need to develop players capable of matching increasingly taller opponents on the international stage.
Nam Technical Director Joseph Mazaza said the programme was not merely about selecting the best performers at the latest camp but building a sustainable player base for the future.
“The final selection camp has given us a clearer picture of the future of Malawian netball,” Mazaza said.
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He said the technical team was particularly encouraged by the emergence of tall players from different parts of the country and the growing contribution of schools and community programmes to talent development.
The latest exercise is the culmination of a talent identification programme that started with a nationwide scouting exercise in April 2025.
The initial exercise identified 316 players considered to have potential for further development.
Of these, 100 players measuring at least 174cm were invited to the first national selection camp in April 2025. Ninety-one attended the camp, with 56 progressing to the next stage.
The talent pool was subsequently expanded through the 2026 Malawi Schools Sports Association (Massa) National Youth Games, where 20 additional players were identified.
Another 24 players from the original scouting database who had missed the first camp and were aged between 22 and 25 were also brought into the programme.
The process eventually produced the final cohort of 100 players who attended the August selection camp.
Promising players have been identified in districts including Rumphi, Chitipa, Karonga, Blantyre, Chiradzulu, Mulanje and Salima.
Nam has also identified 19 promising players who could not attend the final selection camp but possess height profiles ranging from 177cm to 186cm.
Four of those players are above 183cm, while 11 measure at least 180cm.
Nam president Vitumbiko Gubuduza described the completion of the final camp as a significant milestone in the association’s rebuilding programme. “We have moved beyond simply identifying talent and are now establishing a long-term system capable of consistently producing high-quality players for Malawi netball,” Gubuduza said.
Nico Group Corporate Affairs Manager Mbumba Mlia-Ndasauka said the company will continue supporting the exercise. “Talent development is an investment in the future, and we are encouraged to see the programme identifying athletes from every region of Malawi,” Mlia-Ndasauka said.
