Central Region grabs netball bragging rights

By Precious Msosa

It is undisputable fact that about a decade ago, the southern region used to be the home of netball in the country. Actually, if one would be asked to come up with a makeshift netball squad then, and happens to ignore any name from the central region teams let alone the northern region ones, he or she could at least be forgiven.

In those years, a visit to Blantyre Youth Centre (BYC), now Blantyre Sports Arena, would clearly tell that the region was full of talent with several girls showing great potential in the sport. Both young and old would grace the BYC netball court running and flying in different directions with the hope of finding a niche in the Malawi national netball team. Who could blame them especially when it was the era when the queens were flying in the skies and any visionary player wanted to join the party?

Back then, the realms of power in netball run through teams such as Diamonds, MTL Queens and Admarc Tigresses (Tigresses).

Hanjahanja: It is painful (Photo Credit: The Nation)

However, of late, the trajectory has changed. The winds of change have swept across the sport with the central region fairly enjoying the revolution. In the previous era under review, netball fanatics would now agree that no team from the central region could enjoy the top three aroma. This was a far-fetched dream as the southern region teams jealously guarded against these spots. But with the passage of time, the gates have shaken allowing the ‘enemy’ to break free.

A glance at the recent FDH premier netball league would attest to the fact that the central region has snatched the pride that they had toiled for years. Three teams from the region are now sitting in the top four, a very rare feat.

Malawi Police Service headquarters’ side, Blue Eagles Sisters, are the ones that have led the ‘revolt’. With the firearms at their disposal, the women in uniform have shot their way to the summit of the twelve-member league and are destined to be crowned the FDH Premier Netball League champions.

Breathing down their neck is Kukoma Diamonds, the only side that is saving the face of the southern region in this wrestling of power. On the third position sits government sponsored side Civonets while blossoming Vanessa Sisters, beating all odds, rule on fourth position. This was according to the latest log table of week seventeen of the games.

However, this shift of dominance to the central region is a bitter pill to swallow to the netball lovers from the south, and more so, to Anne Hanjahanja, a seasoned netball administrator from the region.

Hanjahanja who has served in different top portfolios at both national and regional level, admits that the region’s loss of power is very painful. But she largely attributes this to loss of sponsorship.

She says during the period which the region used to conquer netball, most of the teams that ruled supreme enjoyed good sponsorship from the corporate world. Among others, she cited teams like Admarc Tigresses (now Tigresses), Kukoma Diamonds, MTL Queens (now Giants NC).

“I must admit that this loss of dominance is very painful. But all this is because some teams lost their sponsorship. Most of the players now just play for passion,” she says.

Hanjahanja, who is now the Blantyre Urban District Netball League General Secretary therefore appeals to the corporate world and individuals to consider sponsoring some netball teams from the region. She says sponsoring a netball team is not that expensive as what is needed the most is transport for the players during training and games. She also says what the sponsor provides during the games is food and water to the team.

“The issue of allowances and game bonuses is at the mercy of the sponsor. So, you can see that sponsoring a netball team is not that expensive. A company would gain more in visibility because of the free advertising once the team is being mentioned in the media than if it were the actual advertising,” says Hanjahanja.

She further says the central region’s dominance is also due to player migration from the southern region. Hanjahanja says since most teams have no sponsorship, many players trekked to Lilongwe where they joined sponsored teams.

Mphatso Malidadi, a sports editor for the Times Group, who has also vastly covered the sport, shares Hanjahanja’s sentiments. He says sponsorship is the main drive to power teams to glory.

Blue Eagles have swept almost all national trophies of late (Photo Credit: Facebook)

“Currently, the domestic landscape has indeed shifted with the central region dominating, especially through Blue Eagles, who have been conquering national tournaments for the past three years. If you look closely, you will notice that Eagles have a sound administrative structure and are well-sponsored. You need to balance the two to get results and this is what is happening at Eagles,” he says.

He adds: “The emergence of Vanessa Sisters in the central region has added competition at regional and national level, thereby making the central region, a powerful zone.”

On the other hand, Malidadi says Tigresses is struggling due to lack of sponsorship. He puts it that the side is failing to maintain top players or sign better ones and that it has also lost some good players to other teams, including Vanessa.

Similarly, another veteran sports journalist Wesysylas ‘Majoti’ Chirwa of Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) says sponsorship has been a key factor to all this wave of change. He says teams like Giants NC (formerly MTL Queens) and Tigresses have lost big name players who were pivotal to the team due lack of sponsorship.

“Today, you can feel sorry when you go to the training ground for either Giants NC or Tigresses. You will not see a familiar face there, all you will see are young netballers who are probably trying to make a name. The regular faces will only appear on the game day as they don’t train because there is no transport reimbursements and other benefits,” he says. 

Meanwhile, the central region netball lovers are on cloud nine with the new twist to the netball dominance.

Thokozani Chirwa, a netball fan, says she is now proud that the region rules. But she is quick to caution the teams not to be carried away as this has not come on a silver platter.

Efforts to talk to Central Region Netball Committee (CRNC) chairperson and general secretary were unsuccessful until press time. But with this achievement, your guess is as good as mine, regarding their feeling.