Sports Council has questioned Tigresses players’ discipline during club and country engagements, but denied that Malawi Government ordered their exclusion from the Malawi Queens 20-member provisional squad.
Council executive secretary George Jana on Thursday said they were against violence, confrontation and bending of rules to suit a party or individual, but advocated for dialogue.
“Council did not make any directive to NAM on the players’ inclusion into the national team. However, an observation was verbally made to NAM that the same team (Tigresses) players acted in a similar manner at the finals of the same competition in Mzuzu last year, which also nearly had the tournament disrupted save for intervention of some of us at the venue,” Jana explained in an e-mail response.
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had asked if government ordered the dropping of the likes of Sindi Simtowe, Beatrice Mpinganjira-Kadango, Grace Mwafulirwa-Mhango, Laureen Ngwira, from the squad bound for Australia next month.
But Jana also cited the latest disciplinary case, last Saturday in Lilongwe, where Tigresses players man-handled NAM treasurer Abigal Sharrif during the aborted Presidential Cup final for taking one of the team’s player for a pregnancy test.
Jana condemned the acts as not exemplary of national team players, who are supposed to be role models.
“Sport is not only about skill and enjoyment. It is also meant to build character and good behaviour. I suppose, it is from these cases that NAM decided to exclude the players or it was the coaches’ decision,” Jana explained.
Malawi Ministry of Youth and Sports Principal Secretary Justin Saidi on Thursday also distanced government from reports that they ordered the exclusion of Tigresses players for spoiling the cup.
“We have no mandate or control over them, but we have asked for a report from NAM as we are not happy with what happened. We expect them to make a sound and impartial decision as netball is Malawi’s flag carrier,” said Saidi.
Tigresses general secretary Hellene Mpinganjira yesterday said she was not aware of the directive, adding that they only appealed against the ban while Queens coach Griffin Saenda told Radio Two FM that he axed the Tigresses players under instructions.
NAM president Rosy Chinunda said she had asked Tigresses to send their appeal to Sports Council for them to bring the two parties together and resolve the wrangle.
“I tried to reason with the Tigresses players that if they had issues against NAM, they should go through their officials, but they did not listen.
“Some of them even swore at us. But the squad is not final. If they [council] find us at fault, we will recall the players,” said Chinunda.
