Welcome back Mwawi, you are a good girl

Tom Sangala July 25, 2015

439 1 minute read

Finally, our netball star Mwawi Kumwenda has joined the Malawi Queens’ camp after a protracted war of words with Netball Association of Malawi (Nam).

The bone of contention was that Mwawi and her family wanted Nam to withdraw the warning letter it issued to her after she allegedly boycotted Queens’ assignment because she was sick.

The New Zealand based netball star has been boycotting international assignments; a move that drew wrath from the sports fraternity, the media inclusive, until Mwawi and her family realised the importance of prioritising national interests above personal interests. That is what we call maturity. Well done Mwawi, you are a good girl. Welcome back aboard, we missed your skills.

As the shooting star is back in the Queens’ fold, we hope coach Peace Chawinga-Kalua can fully concentrate on her game-plan ahead of the World Netball Cup to be held in Australia next month.

The whole netball fraternity is expecting a lot from the Queens. We are fed up of playing second fiddle to heavyweights like New Zealand, Australia, England and Jamaica and always coming back on fifth position in the world.

What is more disheartening is that our status on the globe has become so bad that we are even playing second fiddle to teams we used to beat at will such as South Africa’s Spar Proteas.

Now that government has approved warm -up matches ahead of the world netball fiesta, coupled with the arrival of ‘prodigal’ daughter this should come as a relief to the coaches.

Kalua has been complaining about the absence of Mwawi and lack of strength testing games ahead of the crucial assignments.

However, the corporate world seem not interested in assisting the Queen’s preparations for this high- profile netball tournament but when they perform well you will see them coming out of cocoon making senseless noise to attract cheap publicity.

I wish all the companies emulate the example set by Airtel, who sponsored the Queen to the tune of K360 million for three years. That is the only way Malawi sport, netball inclusive, can improve.

I would want to repeat that all the companies who are interested to support the Queens to do it now not after the tournament. That smacks opportunism.