Australia paper lashes out at NAM

The Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) dropping of Tigresses’ four players from the Malawi Queens has earned them bad publicity in the international press.

In its Monday edition, The Guardian of Australia blamed NAM’s decision to withdraw the players, especially Sindi Simtowe, as contributing to the Queens 64-37 loss to Australia.

“Netball is big news in Malawi, where the word for netball is ntchembere mbaye — ‘ntchembre’ means ‘mother’,” reads www.theguardian.com/sport in its analysis titled Malawi Queens hint at netball’s African future.

“But there was nothing motherly about the way the Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) stopped four of its players from touring with this side; shooter Sindi ‘Sniper’ Simtowe, Beatrice Kadango, Lauren Ngwira and Grace Mhango.

Despite the 49-margin loss, the newspaper still praised the Queens for producing “an entertaining mix of acrobatic splits, funky flick-shots, deceptive one-hand passing, slippery cross-court plays and head-banded athletes brimming with charisma.”

During Presidential Cup national finals in Lilongwe, a Tigresses player tested positive for pregnancy. NAM forfeited the team’s points, sparking skirmishes as some players roughed up NAM officials.

The association responded by withdrawing the players.

And independent panel, which the Sports Council set, cleared Tigresses of wrongdoing.

The Guardian described Simtowe’s absence as a big blow as she “is a wonderful goal attack who plays like Mary Waya crossed with Simone Forbes—both a playmaker and an accurate long-range shooter.”

Unfortunately, as the Malawi situation showed, the hopes of African netball could be dashed by dodgy administrators, concluded the newspaper.

NAM president Rosy Chinunda on Monday dismissed talk that the Queens are struggling due to the absence of the Tigresses players