Malawi Under-21 National Netball Team has suffered a setback in their preparations for Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar as England Under-21s have pulled out from the Junior Queens’ scheduled international friendly matches.
England, alongside Jamaica and Singapore, confirmed to play Malawi in strength-testing matches before the global showpiece, but The Roses Pathway have suddenly backed off for unspecified reasons, according to a brief letter England Netball has written Netball Association of Malawi.
The Junior Queens were scheduled to face England Under-12s in a warm-up match in Gibraltar on September 19, two days after the expected test fixtures against Jamaica and Singapore.
The letter, signed by England Netball’s performance coordinator Georgina Rettey reads in part: “Unfortunately, we are unavailable for any warm-up matches.”
England Under-21 National Netball Team is one of the strongest among the 20 teams at the Netball World Youth Cup, considering that five of their 12 players in the final squad feature for United Kingdom’s top-flight league clubs.
England Under-21 players include defender Sophie Egbaran, who is teammate to Malawi Queens star shooter Joyce Mvula at NIC Leeds Rhinos. Others are London Pulse shooter Sophie Kelly, Nottingham Forest shooter Anya Williams, London Mavericks’ centre Isabella Phillips and Celena Appleby of Cardiff Dragons.
Junior Queens coach Noel Mussa yesterday described the development as a blow to their preparations as Malawi has missed an opportunity of gauging their strength against one of the strong teams before the global competition.
However, he said they will find solace in their warm-up match against Jamaica as it is one of the strongest sides. Mussa said the Singapore test is another good game that will help them tighten the loose ends.
“It could have been better to play England as well in the build up to the Netball World Youth Cup because they would have given us a good test. All the same, Jamaica is equally a good side,” said Mussa.
NAM general secretary Yamikani Kauma said with the tournament fast approaching it will be a tall order to book another team to replace England as such the Junior Queens will make do with the remaining two tests against Jamaica and Singapore.
“But if any other team shows an interest to play the Junior Queens before the global showpiece, we are ready to accept,” she said.
The international friendlies will be the Junior Queens’ first overseas tests after their qualification for the World Youth Cup in March last year.
Last month, the Malawi Under-21 National Netball Team had their first preparatory matches against 15th ranked hosts Zambia and they registered wins in all their three test series, having won 48-36, 44-31 and 36-29.
Currently, the Junior Queens are in camp in Lilongwe and will be tuning up until their departure for Gibraltar on September 15.
Malawi last competed in the Netball World Youth Cup in 2009 in Cook Islands, where Malawi Queens star Mwawi Kumwenda-Mbwana emerged as the top scorer and was spotted by Australian Club Peninsula Waves to become Malawi’s first netball export.
