Malawi National Netball Team High-Performance Consultant Debbie Fuller has called for an improvement during international competitions to enable the Queens improve on World Rankings.
Fuller was reacting to the team’s slump on the latest rankings to position nine from eight.
The New Zealander has been given a year-long contract to help rebuild the Queens after a turbulent season.
“The way we control the rankings is to improve performance in international games. What’s in our control is preparing the team the best we can and to grow the depth of players in Malawi who learn how to prepare to compete in international games.
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“Our opposition are all playing in professional competitions like SSN, the England comp and ANZ comp. While our players do not have easy access to those competitions it does not mean we cannot have the same training habits and standards,” Fuller said.
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The former Silver Ferns assistant coach arrived in Malawi on February 22 after she was handed a year-long deal.
However, the current rankings reflect on how challenging her exercise will be to get the team into the top seven.
Currently, Australia remain the top ranked team followed by New Zealand in second and England third.
South Africa are the top ranked African team on position five, one place behind Jamaica. Uganda lie sixth while Wales are seventh.
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Tonga Nation displaced the Queens on the eighth.
Meanwhile, Netball Association of Malawi (Nam) General Secretary Yamikani Khungwa- Kauma said they were worried about the drop in rankings but pledged to rebuild the side.
“The drop of the Malawi Queens to ninth position on the World Netball rankings is obviously a concern to us, but it is also a moment for reflection and continued focus on rebuilding.
“World rankings are largely determined by results in international matches over a period of time. When a team loses ranking matches, especially against teams ranked below them, it affects their points and overall position. Recently, results such as defeats to teams like Zimbabwe Gems have had an impact on the Queens’ ranking position,” she said in direct reference to the team’s lackluster performance during the Africa Netball Cup which the country hosted in December last year.
The Queens ended on position four on the continent.
However, Khungwa- Kauma said the situation should be understood within the context that the team was going through a transition phase, where several young players were being integrated into the senior squad.
