Malawi National Netball Team interim Coach Samuel Kanyenda has turned down the resignation of centre court player Takondwa Lwazi, saying he still needs her services.
Lwazi announced her retirement from netball at the end of the Netball World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa, early this month.
Kanyenda said he is planning to engage her personally so that she changes her mind.
“A player who was named best centre court player with more feeds than anyone at the Netball World Cup cannot retire just like that. I intend to engage her personally and coax her back into the Queens’ squad.
“She is like a daughter to me and I believe she will listen. I am actually planning to include her in the team that will start preparations for the Fast Five Series which will take place in November in Australia. We still need Lwazi as a player at this competition,” Kanyenda said.
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At the end of the global event some two weeks ago, Lwazi told Malawi News that she believes she has done her part and would retire a happy person, having contributed greatly to the Queens.
“This is my last game [against Tonga]. I have done my part and it is time to pave way for others. It has been a good experience with the Queens and I wish the team well,” she said.
Lwazi has a recurring knee injury on her right leg and might have decided to quit after evidently enduring the pain throughout the tournament.
So important was Lwazi’s contribution to the Queens in South Africa that on several occasions, she was forced to return even after being substituted because of injury.
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Former Malawi National Netball Team shooter Linda Magombo said much as Lwazi’s services are still required in the Queens, the decision to retire is personal and cannot be changed easily.
“The coach indeed has the responsibility to ensure that he keeps all his top players. He should do his best to coax the player to rescind her decision. But it is up to the player to decide what is in her best interest.
“If the coach is planning to have the player for the upcoming Fast Five Series, the right time to start talking to her is now. After all, we have seen players coming back into the game after retirement. So this is not something new. We have seen it happen before. So let us just cross our fingers and see what happens next,” Magombo said.
The 31-year-old Lwazi plays for Blue Eagles Sisters and has featured for the Queens in over 100 matches.
