Netball: Irene's challenge: Bring it on

Irene van Dyk laughs when pretenders for the world netball champions' crown say they have her number.

That other teams reckon they can unravel the world's most accurate shooter, the Silver Ferns' brightest jewel, appeals to van Dyk.

"In a way, I like that," she says.

"They think they have me figured out? I say, 'Come play against me, then we'll talk again. Bring on those defenders and let's see who ends up shining at the end of the night'."

Van Dyk is 35, and when tonight's game against the Malawi Queens starts, she will be in her fourth world championship, spanning 12 years.

Other players might see such a landmark as the twilight of their careers, but van Dyk isn't ready to quit.

Six months ago, it seemed her star was waning as she was out-foxed by English and Australian defenders. But in determined van Dyk style - and with husband Christie prodding her - she re-invented her game.

She acknowledges the pressure that goes with being the Fern who ultimately holds the key to success because she scores the points.

"I know a lot of people think I have all the pressure, but I don't feel it.

"I think it's because I'm a happy-go-lucky person - whatever happens happens. But I always do my damndest to win.

"It's nice to know that people are relying on me, that they trust me. When you know that, there's less chance you'll screw up, because you don't want to disappoint them."

Van Dyk never knew pressure when she played her first world championships, for South Africa in 1995 - the year the Proteas, returning after apartheid, knocked the Ferns out.

"We'd come out of the wop-wops to play ball. We looked at the Silver Ferns and said, 'I wish I looked like that. So strong, so powerful in black'."

Van Dyk says she has never trained as hard as in the past 12 months, aiming to win consecutive world titles for the first time.

Defenders have pinched her, spat in her ear, but never made her cry. Yesterday, though, van Dyk's famous sapphire eyes welled with tears.

Her mother, Irene Viljoen, flew in from South Africa to watch her "Kiwi" daughter play. Mother and daughter last saw each other for a week in 2004.

The reward from these world championships is already immense.

Netball: Wilson keen for big game against Malawi

Adine Wilson's character has been well and truly tested on the Silver Ferns bumpy road trip to the Netball World Championships.

The Ferns head into tonight's opener against Malawi on the back of July's home series defeat to the Australians and the historic stumble to England

Although she admits that it has been a difficult period, Wilson is keen to open the world title defence with a bang and make the visitors work hard in tonight's match against African side Malawi in West Auckland.

Group criticises Malawi government on procurement of drugs

A grouping of concerned citizens has issued a statement blaming Malawi government through ministry of health for the shortage of drugs in hospitals due to procurement choices and suspected gratification.

The emergency drugs that were purportedly procured and paid for in advance last year by donors to UNICEF supposed to have been delivered by January 2007 were mostly undelivered by end of May affecting Malawians who some lost their lives.

The Ministry of Health floated a tender for pre qualification of suppliers for medical supplies for the next two years; the exercise was completed and pre-qualified suppliers were duly informed by August 2006.

The concerned citizens said government did not procure drugs through a tender process as the local suppliers who had just been pre-qualified were excluded from tendering opting for UNICEF who floated a tender outside the country.

Government assured that UNICEF was going to deliver the essential drugs timely but there was an extraordinary delay affecting lives being lost, prompting at attack from Concerned Citizens that there was no justification that the UN body would perform more efficiently than other suppliers.

The Concerned Citizens disclosed that the total procurement value was US$8.5 million and the Ministry received a "no objection" opinion from the World Bank to proceed with the procurement for the value of only US$ 1.1 million.

However, they disclosed, the Ministry went ahead to procure drugs through UNICEF for US$ 8.5 million paid in advance by Norwegian government.

“Why did the procurement of drugs went beyond the $1.1 Million dollars approved by the bank,” they wondered.

The statement questioned the World Bank for giving a go ahead to the Ministry of Health to procure a large quantity of drugs which were not off the shelf and later resulted in a serious delay of delivery.

The concerned Malawians asked why UNICEF tendered to procure drugs, which were “obviously” not in stock.

“By tendering outside the country, it was clear that it was not in a position to deliver timely. Why did it not accept only those drugs it would readily deliver from its shelves? The delay in delivery has failed Malawians and some have lost their lives and yet no one is asking the UNICEF to explain to Malawians why they have failed so miserably,” said the statement.

“Does the action of appointing UNICEF to supply medical supplies without a tender as required by the law raise concerns of irregularities?” it questions.

The statement said although the World Bank Procurement guidelines under paragraph 3.9 (a) allow procurement through UN Agencies for "small quantities of off the shelf goods, primarily in the fields of education and health" the procurement of US$ 8.5 million should not have been given a go ahead.

They claim that with the delay in delivery, UNICEF did not have these as "off the shelf goods" in stock.

Minister of Health Majorie Ngaunge is on record to have said private local suppliers were shunned in the procurement branding them corrupt and conniving with Central Medical Stores staff in the theft of drugs.

But concerned citizens said they take exception to the Honourable Minister's attitude of branding Central Medical stores staff and local suppliers as corrupt and criminals without any evidence.

Results of health service research by Biomediccentral also noted about the shortage of drug supplies in government hospitals and said levels of supply are “unacceptable” due to “insufficient” deliveries from the Regional Medical Store.

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Iran, Malawi keen on expanding ties

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has emphasized Tehran's determination to enhance ties with African countries.

In a meeting with Malawian President Bingu Wa Mutharika, Mottaki said that Iran is ready to uprade relations in different areas with Malawi, IRNA reported.

While conveying the message of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to his Malawian counterpart, he invited the Malawian president to visit Iran.

Referring to Iran's rich cultural and historical background, the Malawian president reiterated Malawi's interest in raising the levels of cooperation with Iran in different fields.

"Malawi's agriculture and tourism sectors can provide Iranian companies with suitable opportunities for investment," Mutharika noted.

Malawi promises a battle against Ferns

Malawi is making up for lost time with its captain, Peace Chawinga, laying down the gauntlet to the champion New Zealanders ahead of their world netball tournament opening clash.

The experienced campaigner says that if the Silver Ferns want to beat Malawi in tomorrow night's opening match in Auckland they will have to "sweat for it".

"Who are they not to be beaten?" Chawinga said of the Ferns.

"They have two legs, we have two legs," she said.

" They have two hands, we have two hands.

"If they want to win against Malawi they will have to run. They will have to sweat for it."

She said Malawi was going to make sure there would "be some upsets" at this world championships and that the team believed it was "the best".

However, Malawi has had a far from smooth arrival at the world event after experiencing visa problems en route to Auckland.

The subsequent change in flights meant the team touched down more than a day after its scheduled arrival.

Chawinga did not believe it would disrupt Malawi's build-up too much, although it missed a warm-up match against Australia on Wednesday night.

Her side starts its third world tournament without a ranking after missing the 2003 tournament because of a lack of funding.

But Malawi showed its promise last year at the Commonwealth Games when it finished sixth, beating world No. 5 South Africa along the way.

It backed it up with a drawn series against South Africa this year.

Now Chawinga wants a world ranking to match its recent performances.

She said Malawi, which is fielding four players from the 1995 world championships, was excited about playing against the Silver Ferns.

Officials recognised the strength of Malawi to match it as the Ferns' opponent in the tournament opener.

"An opening game doesn't have to be a one-sided game," she said.

"It has to be balanced for people to enjoy."

She warned the netballing public not to underestimate her team.

"If they underrate us, they're in for a surprise."

The Ferns and Malawi met at last year's Commonwealth Games, New Zealand winning 67-39.

But the match was remembered for the 20-plus passes Malawi took from the centre pass-off before getting the ball into the hands of its shooters.

Chawinga made no apologies for her team's style, which she described as "unreadable".

"If we can play our system and some teams are having problems to cut off that, let's stick to it," she said.