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We’re ready —Queens

Malawi’s iconic shooter Mwawi Kumwenda says the Queens have never been more prepared than they are now ahead of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Queensland, Australia.

She said this after the Queens’ game against 11th-ranked Barbados which they won 61-40 in their last preparatory match to earn a third win in 13 matches since last year.

Queens captured during a training session

Mwawi said she rates Malawi’s chances of breaking into the top four for the first time at 100 percent.

“[After our final preparatory match], I would rate our chances of going through 100 percent,” she said.

Asked where she is drawing her confidence from, the lanky shooter said: “We have trained together now for a long time than any other preparations. We stand a good chance.”

However, the sixth-ranked Queens’ struggles to get the latest win against a team ranked five places behind showed they still need to pull up their socks with only a day to go before their first Pool B fixture against third-ranked England tomorrow.

Yesterday, the Malawi national netball team had a sloppy start to the encounter as they tied 11-11 with Barbados in the first quarter before leading by three baskets at half-time following a 26-23 score-line.

Nevertheless, a surge in the last two segments proved vital for the Queens as they increased the tally by 12 baskets in the third quarter, which ended 43-31 before further widening the gap by 21 baskets at the sound of the final whistle.

When Mwawi was pulled out for Joyce Mvula in the last quarter, there were doubts if Malawi could successfully increase the tally but her introduction proved to be a key to the whole tie as the Queens further widened the basket margin.

The Queens’ starting line-up had Mwawi and Jane Chimaliro on the shooting roles while Bridget Kumwenda-Chalera, Thandie Galeta, Joana Kachilika, Caroline Mtukule-Ngwira and Towera Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda were wing-attacker, centre, wing-defender, goal-defender and goalkeeper, respectively.

“We did not play well in the first two quarters but we upped our game in the subsequent segments,” Queens’ physical fitness trainer Griffin Saenda Jnr said.

The last time the two sides met in a competitive match during the World Netball Championship in Singapore in 2011, Queens triumphed by 29 baskets.

The latest result follows Queens’ participation in the Taini Jamison Trophy last week in New Zealand, where they lost by 33 baskets to their second-ranked hosts Silver Ferns, yet the last time they met the gap was just eight. They also beat 12th ranked Fiji Pearls by 15 baskets but previously the difference was 30.

Queens’ assistant coach Whyte Mlilima yesterday was confident they will tighten the loose ends just on time before their first assignment against England’s Roses tomorrow.

“We have learnt a lot from this game and we will do our level best to do much better in the actual games. Although we are working on a few areas that need improvement, especially in terms of ball distribution and defence, we have made great improvements through the international friendly matches we have played so far,” he said.

Queens’ performance at the Commonwealth Games will determine their destiny on the world netball rankings, where improved lower ranked teams such as Uganda’s She Cranes are desperate to displace them.

Uganda, who will take on Queens this Saturday, have qualified for the Commonwealth Games for the first time after moving six places up the rankings table to seventh, just a step behind the Queens, following their impressive performance at the 2017 Africa Netball Championship, where they beat the Queens to be champions.

They beat Malawi thrice last year, twice in the run up to the continental showpiece (52-39 and 67-34) and on day three of the event 66-43. Mwawi was absent from that contest due to her commitments with her Australian club Melbourne Vixens and her availability this time around might be a game changer.

Queens captured during a training session

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