Queens’ top 6 hopes shuttered
To Face Wales in 7th/8th place playoffs
The Malawi National Netball Team’s hopes of finishing fifth or sixth at the ongoing Commonwealth games in Birmingham, England has been shuttered after suffering a 56-43 to rivals, Uganda on Thursday.
The defeat means that the Queens will return home empty-handed as the hoped to carry the trophy and finishing sixth have all shuttered.
Coach for Queens Peace Kaluwa-Chawinga has accepted the defeat saying all the possible ways to scoop the victory were tried.
“We have lost to Uganda, we tried all the best possible options to win the game but we have failed. They had their tall shooter who has punished us. However, we have learnt alot, we have gained and we will implement them going forward.
Wales is another tough game and we need to prepare well for us to win the game,” said Peace Chawinga.
Straight from a thumping 70-30 victory over Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday, the Queens had to beat the She Cranes for them to have an advantage of facin Pool A third placed, South Africa and battle for fifth or sixth place.
Malawi started the first quarter brightly but they failed to stick to their performance as the She Crane took over the proceedings of the game. Uganda capitalised on Queens’ lack of accuracy in passes, failing to mark and make any interception to win all the quarters.
The She Cranes bossed all the four quarters of the game and they were 14-11 up in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, instead of Queens stepping up their game, it was Uganda who were blazing and they were making quick and accurate passes to shine over Queens. However, Queens scored 13 baskets against Uganda’s 14 and the She Cranes were 28-24 up at the break.
Despite having prolific shooters like Mwawi Kumwenda and Mvula, the Queens continued to struggle in the third quarter as once again the She Cranes recorded more baskets, 13 against Malawi’s 9 to open the gap to 7 baskets and 41-33 at the end of the third quarter.
Going into the last quarter, the Queens were showing the acceptance of the defeat with 15 minutes more on the clock. She Cranes noted the weakness and they went to thrash Malawi with 15 baskets over 10 to record a 56-43 victory and book a date to face South Africa’s netball team who beat Scotland 65-46 for a fifth place playoffs.
This is worst result for Malawi against the She Cranes losing with 13 goals margin, in 2021 at Pent Series tournament which took place in Namibia.
Uganda defeated Malawi 59-43 before the two sides recording a 44 baskets apiece at the African Netball Championship in South Africa. In 2018 Queens lost to Uganda with 2 goals margin
Malawi will play the team that finishes fourth in pool A, Wales to fight for 7th place.
Of four games at Commonwealth games, Malawi have managed to win only one game losing to the hosts, England, New Zealand and Uganda.
Meanwhile l, in Boxing, Malawi ’s only boxer at the tournament, Lewis Zakeyu Mbewe was bowed out of the competition after he retired in round 2 upon receiving heavy punches from Welsh Fighter,Loan Croft.
The boxer managed to defeat a Sierra Leone International, Yousuf Deen Kargbo days ago.
