Mwawi leaves for New Zealand next week
Mwawi Kumwenda’s visa is out and she is expected to leave the country for New Zealand on November 30 to join another netball team.
Her manager Hlupikile Phiri said on Friday that the visa was processed through the New Zealand embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, and they are expecting to receive the travel document from the DHL Courier Service today.
Mwawi has signed a one-year contract with Easiyo Tactix after completing her three eight-month contracts with Victoria Netball League (VNL) side Peninsular Waves in Australia where she won the Best Player Award for three seasons.
However, the Malawi Queens shooter attracted the attention of the New Zealand side following her outstanding performance in the Australian Netball League’s Victorian Fury contest where she won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) accolade with a record-breaking score-line of 461 baskets.
“Mwawi will leave for New Zealand on November 30 to acclimatise and train with her new teammates before she returns home for a Christmas break sometime in December,” she said.
According to Phiri, apart from providing the Malawi Queens’ shooter with the air ticket, Tactix have also issued another ticket for Mwawi’s flight on January 4 to start life in the competitive New Zealand Netball League.
However, Phiri, who is a lawyer by profession, refused to give details of Mwawi’s contract with Tactix, saying such issues are private and confidential at present.
Mwawi, who helped Waves to scale the heights in the VNL where they moved from position seven in 2011 to position two and four in 2012 and 2013, respectively, said she is more than ready to start a new life at her new club.
“This is going to be a new challenge for me but I know with the help of my new coach and the support from my new teammates, I will be a player to be reckoned with in the New Zealand League,” the former Escom Sisters player said as she did some exercises at Blantyre Youth Centre (BYC) on Friday.
Christchurch-based Tactix signed the 2010 FastNet World Netball Series’ best player two months ago to replace shooter Jo Harten.
