Netball in Malawi

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Netball in Malawi
Malawi netball girls.jpg
Namitembo Trade and Agriculture School (NAMTAS) (in black) vs. Changalume. Namitembo, Zomba West, Malawi
CountryMalawi
Governing bodyNetball Association of Malawi [1] [2]
National team(s) Malawi

Netball in Malawi is organized by the Netball Association of Malawi.

Contents

National team

The Malawi national netball team competes in international netball tournaments such as the Netball World Cup, [3] [4] the Commonwealth Games, [5] [6] [7] the African Netball Championships, [8] the Fast5 Netball World Series [9] [10] and the Diamond Challenge. Malawi's best performance at a major international tournament was a third place finish at the 2016 Fast5 Netball World Series. [10] Malawi has defeated New Zealand, Australia and England in international tournaments. [9] [10] [11] As of 1 July 2020, they are sixth in the INF World Rankings. [12]

Competitions

Malawi's three regions – Central Region, Southern Region and Northern Region – all have regional leagues. The top teams from the regions played in two national competitions, the Presidential Championship and the Champions League. The latter competition was launched in 2013 and was sponsored by GOtv Africa. It initially featured the top teams from Blantyre and Lilongwe but in 2015 it was expanded to included teams from Mzuzu. In 2014 and 2017 the Champions League used Fast5 netball rules in order to help the Malawi national netball team prepare for the 2014 and 2017 Fast5 Netball World Series tournaments. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19]

In 2023, the national competitions were replaced by the new National Netball League. [20]

Club teams

TeamFormer nameSponsor/benefactorHome cityRegionFounded
Blue Eagle Sisters [21] Malawi Police Service Lilongwe Central Region 1985
Civo Nets [22] Malawi Civil Service Lilongwe Central Region mid–1970s
Kukoma DiamondsESCOM Sisters [23] ESCOM Blantyre Southern Region 2005
Thunder QueensPost Nets
MTL Queens [24]
MBC
Malawi Telecommunications Limited
Blantyre Southern Region 1980s
Mzuzu Queens Mzuzu Northern Region
Tigresses [25] ADMARC Tigresses
Bingu Tigresses
ADMARC
Bingu wa Mutharika
Blantyre Southern Region 1970s

Source: [15] [16] [17] [18] [19]

Notable players

PlayerTeamLeague
Mwai Kumwenda [26] [27] [28] [29] Melbourne Vixens Suncorp Super Netball
Joyce Mvula [30] [31] Manchester Thunder Netball Superleague
Towera Vinkhumbo [32] Severn Stars Netball Superleague

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Towera Vinkhumbo, also referred to as Towera Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda or Towera Nyirenda, is a Malawi netball international and a Malawi women's football international. As a netball player she represented Malawi at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and at the 2011, 2015 and 2019 Netball World Cups. Vinkhumbo was also a member of the Malawi team that finished third at the 2016 Fast5 Netball World Series. At club level, Vinkhumbo plays for Strathclyde Sirens in the Netball Superleague. In July 2019, the same month she played for Malawi in the 2019 Netball World Cup, she also represented Malawi at the 2019 COSAFA Women's Football Championship. She also played for Malawi in 2020 Summer Olympic football qualifiers.

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Bridget Kumwenda, also referred to as Bridget Chalera or Bridget Kumwenda Chalera, is a Malawi netball international player. She represented Malawi at the 2011, 2015 and 2019 Netball World Cups and at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Kumwenda was also a member of the Malawi team that finished third at the 2016 Fast5 Netball World Series.

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Loreen Ngwira also spelt as Laureen Ngwira is a Malawian netball player who plays for Malawi in the positions of GD and GK.

Takondwa Lwazi also spelt as Takwonda Lwazi is a Malawian netball player who plays for Malawi internationally and for Malawian local club Blue Eagles in the positions of C and WA. She is known as one of the finest netball centre players to have played for Malawi despite being only 160cm tall in height. She also serves as a Police Sergeant in the Malawi Police Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malawi at the 2022 Commonwealth Games</span> Sporting event delegation

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References

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  23. "Escom Sisters". gotvnetball.com. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  24. "MTL Queens". gotvnetball.com. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  25. "Bingu Tigresses". gotvnetball.com. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
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  27. "'I want to win': Malawi-born Mwai Kumwenda shooting for Australian netball glory". www.sbs.com.au. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
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  30. "Sacrifices for Superleague – We speak to Joyce Mvula". www.manchesterthunder.co.uk. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  31. "Manchester Thunder's Joyce Mvula named Fans' Player of the Season". www.skysports.com. 19 May 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  32. "Vinkhumbo signs for UK's Seven Stars". www.mwnation.com. 10 November 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2020.