The Maravi Post

BLANTYRE--Malawi’s only foreign netball player Mwawi ‘Professor’ Kumwenda is set to return to Australia on January 28, 2012 for a third consecutive stint with Peninsula Waves after completing her off-season break.

Add attachment

AUCKLAND, Australia--It may have been the play-off for fifth, but giant-killers the Malawi Queens celebrated like they had taken out the Fast5 World Series title after their 33-30 victory over Australia tonight. Mwai Kumwenda, the Malawi Queens’ star shooter, was beaming for a long time after the victory: “We are very excited, Australia are a very tough team.”

It was the second time during the tournament that the crowd darlings had beaten Australia, world champions of the seven-a-side game, on top of a victory over Fast5 finalists England.

“It has been a good experience for us. Most of the time we can’t come to events because of money. But this has been good for us, and people in Malawi are so excited,” said Kumwenda, who would love the opportunity to play in the ANZ Championships.

The Australians, on the other hand, were coming to terms with leaving Auckland without a win during the three-day tournament, but coach Lisa Alexander was far from despondent.

“Malawi did a great job. In their second quarter they completely and utterly outplayed us, and we weren’t totally expecting that.” Malawi led 18-12 at halftime.
“But I was really proud of the way the girls game back and shot some six pointers and three pointers,” Alexander said of the Fast5 Diamonds, who drew back within one going into the final quarter.

Final Standings
Hosts New Zealand thrashed England 23-21 in the Fast5 grand final. Malawi which has claimed the fifth place will certainly lose the first sport in Africa as their rivals South
Africa finished with bronze after pulling off a shock 38-34 win over Jamaica in the play-off for third and
fourth.
1 New Zealand
2 England
3 South Africa
4 Jamaica
5 Malawi
6 Australia

Add attachment

LILONGWE--Central region netball league’s OCASOR are still struggling and they lost big in their last match 18-3 against CEDAR QUEENS.

The area 25 team lacks sponsorship and sometimes they travel by foot when going to play away matches in Lilongwe.

OCASOR is placed in the bottom three of the central region netball league but this isn’t mainly due to underperformance but because they’ve dropped a lot of points because of failure to show up and play their away matches.

Early this week,  OCASOR played against CEDAR QUEENS at Kalambo court in area 25. CEDAR made an impressive start as they led 8-1 in the first quarter. CEDAR’S Goal attacker Brandina Phiri bagged in seven baskets and the other basket was scored by goal shooter Ester Siyama and OCASOR’s basket was made by Frarry Luwazi.

In the second quarter, Brandina struggled to find her scoring touch as she only converted two baskets but  OCASOR failed to capitalize on the advantage as they only netted one basket to make the scores 2-1. CEDAR’s goal shooter Ester bagged in three baskets to end the second quarter 5-1.

In the final two quarters CEDAR dominated the proceedings as they had much of the possession. The two quarters ended 3-0 and 2-1 respectively. Overall Cedar won 18-3.

Cedar’s goal attacker Brandina Phiri said, “I am very happy that we have won today. We played well as a team and I am happy that I contributed.”

OCASOR’s coach wasn’t happy.

“I think they played better than us, but I am disappointed with the display of my girls today. They didn’t show the required commitment and this has led to this result. Will work hard in training so that we can win our next games and at least move up,” he said.

In another match, fourth placed Model Sisters defeated fifth placed Green Sisters 12-3 to keep alive their hopes of finishing in top four this season.

Model Sister’s coach, Chisomo Likagwa, said that he was happy that his team is on course to secure a top four finish this season.

“I feel this victory will work to our advantage,” he said

Green Sisters coach Sibongile Moyo said: “With four games left I think that we can’t give up now on our chances of finishing on fourth place. All we need to do is to bounce back from this game and win our next matches.”
--
(c) The Maravi Post 2012. Reproduction without acknowledgement prohibited

Add attachment

LILONGWE--Malawi national netball team, the Queens, failed to make into into the semifinals of the Fast5 Netball World Series taking place in Auckland New Zealand after starting the tournament with a bang by beating world champions and top ranked Australia 33-15 and then narrowly losing 32-31 to the Sunshine girls of Jamaica on Friday.

Add attachment