Queens in fair Pacific-Aus series group
Malawi National Netball Team will face minnows Samoa, Fiji and Papua New Guinea in Group A of the Pacific Aus Series to be held in Gold Coast Australia from April 24 to 29.
Sixth-ranked Queens are the top ranked team at the invitational tournament.
This will be the first time for three African countries Malawi, Kenya and Zambia to take part in the event while Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Fiji and Tonga are returning to the competition.
Queens are favourites in Group A while Samoa are on position 18. Fiji are ranked 19th while Papua New Guinea lie on position 39 in the world.
Group B consists of seventh-ranked Tonga, Kenya (35), Zambia (16) and Singapore (27).
Netball Association of Malawi Vice President Chimwemwe Bakali said they are confident that the government will release funds to enable the Queens to take part in a ranking tournament.
“The hosts have subsidised part of our accommodation; so, we need to top up the amount,” he said.
Malawi National Council of Sports Public Relations and Communications Officer Edgar Ntulumbwa could not guarantee if Nam will be given funds to enable the Queens to travel to Australia.
“We gave them a condition that they will show proof that they held an AGM [annual general meeting] or intend to do so before the next financial year. Funds will depend on this,” he said.
The Queens intend to use the tournament as part of preparations for the 2023 Netball World Cup slated for Cape Town, South Africa, from July 28 to August 6.
Malawi were drawn against England, Scotland and Barbados.
