Malawi Queens will tomorrow morning face the British Army Netball Team in a warm-up match ahead of their Quad Series campaign in Nottingham, United Kingdom (UK).
Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) vice-general secretary Charity Gondwe said during the announcement of the Queens’ 12-player final squad in Blantyre on Saturday that the match will help the team to tighten the loose ends before the series.
“We believe the warm-up match will put the Queens in good shape ahead of the series,” she said.
The Queens, who are expected to fly out to the UK today through Chileka International Airport in Blantyre, will start their campaign at the four-nation series against hosts England’s Roses on February 1 before taking on Uganda’s She Cranes on February 2. They will then be up against South Africa’s Spar Proteas on February 8 in London.
On Saturday, Queens’ co-coaches Mary Waya and Peace Chawinga-Kaluwa named a 12-player final squad for the series comprising six experienced players and the same number of rookies.
The squad includes shooters UK-based Joyce Mvula, Tendai Masamba, Ruth Kaliyenda and Ethel Ng’ambi and centre-court players Takondwa Lwazi-Chiwaya, Thandi Galeta and Florence Gamuka. Defenders are Towera Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda, Grace Mwafulirwa-Mhango, Martha Dambo, Thoko Makunganya and Shabel Bengo.
Out of these, Mvula, Lwazi-Chiwaya, Galeta, Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda, Mwafulirwa-Mhango and Dambo have vast national team experience.
Chawinga-Kaluwa said: “We have blended the new and the old players. If you look at the old players in the squad, they can offer something to the young ones.
“Having a team without the seniors from whom the new talents can tap skills is not good. We have made sure we have a senior and at least an understudy in every position.”
Apart from Waya and Chawinga-Kaluwa, other technical officials making the trip are team manager Tamara Fweta, team doctor Junier Kazembe and fitness trainer Madano Thepetheya.
