Netball in Malawi

Netball in Malawi
Country Malawi
National team Malawi

Netball in Malawi is popular with women, with the local word for the game being Nchembre mbaye. The country has a national team and an under-21 team. There are also club teams.

Background

A team of Malawi netball players posing for a team picture
A Malawi netball team

Netball is the most popular women's sport in Malawi.[1][2] The Malawi word for netball is Nchembre mbaye, where Nchembre means "mother". This name clearly links the sport to women and those who are responsible for taking care of their families.[3] The game is played by young people in the country.[4] The government has provided funding for construction of netball facilities.[5] UNICEF has also supported the game in Malawi.[6]

National team

Malawi's national team is called the Queens.[7] The Queens have won the African Cup of Netball Champions.[8] The country participated in the 1976 East and Central African Senior Challenge Cup. Malawi lost to Zambia 19-61 at the 1995 Zambian hosted ECA Senior Challenge Cup. Malawi went on to finish last in the tournament with zero points.[9] In 2001, the national team trained the Kamuzu Institute for Youth.[5] In 2006, most of the players were drawn from the top two clubs in the country.[10] As of January 2011, the women's national team was ranked number seven in the world.[11] In 2012, the national team participated in the Fast5 World Series.[12]

In April 2008, Lesotho hosted the Malawi Under-21 national netball team. The match was part of the annual Confederation of Southern Africa Netball Association (COSANA) tournament.[13] In 2008, Whyte Mulilima was an assistant coach on the Malawi Under-21 national netball team.[13]

Club

In 1992, the ADMARC Tigresses won the Southern African Netball Associations trophy. A Malawian player was also named the best player in that tournament.[14]

Players

Mwayi Kumwenda is the only player from the country to play internationally. She plays for the Peninsula Waves in Australia's Victorian Netball League.[15]

References

  1. ↑ Shakespear & Caldow 2009, p. x
  2. ↑ "Speech of the Minister of Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA)". South African Government Information. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  3. ↑ Kapsula 2010, p. 33
  4. ↑ Malawi: The Year in Review. Department of Information. 1975. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Malawi. Parliament (2001). National Assembly Debates (Hansard). Government Printer. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  6. ↑ Malawi. Ministry of Gender and Community Services; UNICEF--Malawi (2003). Early child development baseline study in selected districts of Malawi. Capacity Building Initiative, Government of Malawi. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  7. ↑ De Capua 2009, p. 53
  8. ↑ Lungu 2012, p. 30
  9. ↑ Moses Sayela Walubita (4 August 2011). Zambia Sporting Score: A Period of Hits and Misses. iUniverse. pp. 52–54. ISBN 978-1-4502-7911-6. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  10. ↑ Moni. Popular Publications Office. 2006. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  11. ↑ International Federation of Netball Associations 2011a
  12. ↑ Kadewere, Jeromy (November 1, 2012). "Malawi Queens squad named, leaves for New Zealand Fast5 tourney". Nyasa Times.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Nyasa Times Reporter 2008
  14. ↑ Sweetman 1998, p. 75
  15. ↑ Sports. "Mwawi says two Australian awards ‘big honour’: Netball clinics to continue | Malawi news, Malawi - NyasaTimes breaking online news source from Malawi". Nyasatimes.com. Retrieved 1 November 2012.

Bibliography