The team comprises eight first players and two reserves and will be training at the tournament’s venue, Lilongwe Golf Club under the tutelage of national coach Chris Kachiguma and team manager Stallard Mpata.
Blantyre-based top player Paul Chidale leads the list that also has Standford Mayuni, Victor Kachepatsonga, Adam Sailesi, Wilson Kaingwe, George Chisambo, Daniel Phiri and Charles Kambalame. The two reserves are Texon Banda and Gabriel Kambale.
Kachiguma said the team is in shape to do well this year and win the tournament for the first time.
“We started training in January and during the time that we have been training the players have been great. For the previous tournaments, we only trained for a week and that is why we struggled. But I have all the hope that we’ll do well this time around.
“Our training programme has been centred on fitness exercises and personal performance improvement and this included playing matches against each other as well as past national team players. The team also participated in the national championship matches recently held in Blantyre.
“Discipline and dedication have been underscored as key elements to achieving good results and the team is confident it will achieve the desired result of being in the top three,” he said.
During last year’s tournament held in Kenya, the team finished eighth while their best ever finish was in 2003 and 1986 when they finished second.
