Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) says contracts for Malawi Queens co-coaches Peace Chawinga-Kaluwa and Mary Waya, which expired at the end of July will be extended.
The Queens’ legends were hired on short-term contracts by NAM last November to replace Joana Kachilika, who was reassigned to the World Youth Cup-bound Under-21 national team, an offer she turned down.
NAM general secretary Yamikani Khungwa-Kauma said in an interview yesterday that the duo will be maintained to ensure continuity and stability of the team.
Chawinga-Kalua (L) and Waya.
| Courtesy of NAM
She said: “Given the upcoming African Netball Cup in December 2025 and Spar Challenge in January 2026, primary focus is to ensure continuity and stability in these tournaments.
“These games will give us ample ground for their assessment. With a new coaching cycle typically requiring a longer lead time, it’s impractical to bring in new coaches at this stage.
“We are confident that our current coaches will help the team prepare well for the Africa Netball Cup taking place here at home.”
On the association’s impression of the coaches’ performance, Kauma said: “I would say it has been a mixed bag.
“After being awarded the contracts, their first major competition was the African Netball Cup in Namibia, where the team’s performance wasn’t entirely impressive.
“We acknowledge that the coaches had limited time to work with the team before the tournament, which might have contributed to the outcome.”
She, however, said the team showed great promise during the Vitality Series in the United Kingdom, “where there was tremendous improvement”.
Said Kauma: “This gave us optimism for the future. As we continue to rebuild and elevate the standards of netball in the country, we’re committed to supporting our coaches and players in their development journey. With a clear plan in place, we’re excited to see the team’s rhythm and performance improve over time.”
At press time yesterday, Chawinga-Kalua and Waya had not responded to our questionnaire on their performance and whether they will accept contract extensions.
But a couple of months ago, the two coaches said the emphasis was on rebuilding the team.
Under their tutelage, the Queens played 10 games, winning three and losing seven.
At the Africa Championship last year, the Queens finished fourth, the first time they were outside the top-two bracket. This was after their 48-42 shock third-place defeat to Zimbabwe’s Gemz.
They also lost to continental giants South Africa’s Spar Proteas and Uganda’s She-Cranes, but thry beat Kenya and Zambia.
However, it was not all doom-and-gloom as the Queens performed better at the Vitality Series where they ended their four-year winless run against Uganda with a convincing 59-45 victory and lost by a narrow three-basket margin to South Africa.
They also lost to England and Uganda in other matches, to finish bottom.
The Queens dropped on world rankings from seventh to eighth
