Teams cry foul over Salima Sugar Netball prizes

Some teams that will participate in the Salima Sugar National Netball League say the prizes are on the lower side surpassing what they will spend on logistics such as accommodation, food and transport.

According to a letter from Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) signed by general secretary Isaac Chimwala, the inaugural finals are scheduled for October 27 to 28 at Don Bosco Netball Court in Lilongwe.

The Nation has established that the national champions will receive K2 million, runners-up K1.75 million while third and fourth-placed teams will get K1.5 million and K1 million respectively.

The eight other will get K500 000 participation fee. The teams will also be required to pay K35 000 each as registration fee and K1 000 registration fee for each player.

“Every team must register a minimum of 15 players up to a maximum of 20 players,” reads a communiqué from NFour Blantyre-based teams namely, Kukoma Diamonds, FitstChoice Tigresses, Imoysis and Blantyre Tremors met last week where they chose a committee comprisingng team managers to advance their concerns.

One of the officials, who asked for anomity said: “All the teams expressed concern with the prize money because as a team, our budget, which includes accommodation and food for three days as well as transport is about K1.6 million.

“That means even in the event that we win the cup, we’ll be left with about K400 000 and we ask ourselves, is it worth it? Even our sponsors have reservations.”

She said they have resolved to negotiate that NAM should consider meeting some of the costs.

“Then, on top of that, we have pay registration fees. Things have gone up and It just doesn’t add up,” said the official.

The official said even for the now defunct Presidential National Cup, the champions would cart home K4 million which is double then the Salima Sugar champions’ purse.

“And we are talking about some three years back when the cost of living was on the lower side. Maybe, the tournament should have been restricted to the top teams as per the sponsor’s concept of a national league,” she said. 

Karonga Queens team manager Ruth Kadenge Mwafulirwa said in an interview yesterday that they are struggling to raise their K1.2 million budget for the tournament.

“We are trying approach well-wishers for assistance and we hope they will bail us out,” she said.

Chimwala was not available for comment yesterday while Salima Sugar company secretary Charles Thupi said he was in a meeting.

The teams expected to take part in the two-day tournament are: Diamonds,  Tigresses, Imosys, Tremors, Prison Sisters, Airforce, Blue Eagles, Civo, Mafco, Young Eagles, Karonga Queens  and Ekwendeni Resource.