Netball: 38-year-young role model leads Malawi's charge

The national grid would have gone off the scale if they'd plugged in Mary Waya's beaming grin yesterday.

The Malawi goal attack, remarkably in her 24th year in the red and green of the national side - "it will be my silver jubilee next year," she quipped - was an influential figure as her team squeezed into the quarter-finals at the world championships.

Their 55-52 win over Wales was greeted with leaps of joy for the team known as the Queens. It was a far cry from their opening night pounding from the Silver Ferns.

They beat African rivals Botswana on Monday but this, in the words of veteran coach Griffin Saenda, was "the do or die game for us".

And what better time to do it than with Malawi's Sports Minister Khumbo Kachali watching from the stands, gleefully banging his thunder sticks together.

Take a poll at Trusts Stadium to find the most popular figure among the 16 teams at the champs and Waya would be at the summit.

She made her national team debut at just 14 and has 19 years on the youngest squad member.

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But it's the power of her personality which makes Waya shine.

At 1.62m and 89kg, combined with her age, she doesn't fit the, ahem, conventional netball physique. But no matter. Her only other trip to the worlds was in 1995 at Birmingham - she missed 1999 when she was pregnant - and she's got a claim to fame.

"I'm 38, which means I'm old," she laughed. "But I have seen some players who came through with me in 1995. They are coaches now, but me, I'm still strong."

And she was fit to burst with pride at the knowledge her sons, Caru, 11 and William, 7, will get up in the morning back home, turn on the TV and watch Mum help topple the Welsh.

She has no daughters, but "what God gives you, you just receive it".

Waya and captain, wing attack Peace Chawinga, and Emma Mzagada were all at the 1995 championships. Age hasn't wearied them and now they will end the tournament with, at worst, a world ranking of 8.

Malawi were sixth at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games last year but arrived in Auckland unranked, having missed the last worlds in Jamaica through lack of funding. Yesterday should ensure that doesn't happen in 2011.

"This means a lot. Now we are making our own ranking numbers," Waya said.

Waya is studying for an economics diploma and the significance of having a Government minister on hand for a big day was not lost on her.

As she put it "he will be our witness. He will take the message back."

And the message will be that although football is No 1 among her 13 million countrymen, netball can put Malawi's women on the sporting map, with some financial help along the way.

For these champs, the players received specially designed uniforms, which is a first. When Malawi bow out, it will be Waya's world champs finale.

There might be a tear, but there's sure to be plenty of smiles.

"She is a huge role model, not only to this team but to Malawi sports women educating them about Aids," Saenda said of one of the biggest health concerns in the poor country. "Young players have a great example in Mary. We are very proud of her."

Hosting Malawi to cost E65 000

SOCCER - THE National Football Association of Swaziland (NFAS) will spend E65 000 to host Malawi in an international friendly game this weekend, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Frederick Mngomezulu announced yesterday.

This would be the first international friendly the squad would play in preparation for the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers set to start in February. It will also be Sihlangu’s new coach Swiss-born Savoy Raoul’s first assignment.

Mngomezulu said the money would cater for accommodation, food, transportation for the visitors to and from training sessions and other things they will need from their day of arrival.

He explained though that part of the money would come from government, who has made a commitment to help them financially during the preparation period.

However, he could not give the exact percentage of the money they would receive from government but revealed that it (government) had agreed to commit itself until their financial year, ending March next year.

“We are nursing hopes that even after the financial year ends, they (government) will continue supporting us and that they revisit the agreement. So far, they have promised to help during the qualifiers games preparations,” explained Mngomezulu.

Malawi will jet into the country on Thursday and would be booked at the Tum’s George Hotel, Manzini while the friendly game would be played at the Trade Fair ground on Sunday. Kick off is 3:30pm. Mngomezulu said they (Malawi) would arrive in different intervals but through the Matsapha International Airport.

He explained that the reason they will not come all at once is that they are not together so they have arranged that they meet in the country on Thursday. Some of the players are based in Europe while others are in South Africa.

“We have since asked that they furnish us with the times they would arrive at so that we can be able to meet them at the airport.

What I can emphasise on is that they will all be in the country Thursday as per FIFA rules that command that they be in the country 48 hours before the game.

"They will have their first training session in the afternoon at the Police College sports ground for the two days (Thursday and Friday) then on Saturday they will train at the Trade Fair ground to feel the turf,” he said.

Mngomezulu explained that this would not be the only international friendly Sihlangu will be engaged in as they wanted to have at least two games before the qualifiers.

Malawi power into last eight

Jamaica, Malawi, Samoa and the Cook Islands have booked their places in the quarter-finals of the Netball World Championships.

The Sunshine Girls from Jamaica stormed past Singapore 91-35 for a place in the last eight.

The unseeded Africans from Malawi raced out to a six-goal lead at quarter time against Wales and held that lead through to the half-time break.

The Welsh fought back in the third quarter to trail by just three but will rue numerous missed opportunities to get back on level terms in the final quarter.

Malawi eventually running out victors, 55-52.

Elsewhere the Cook Islands caused a surprise by defeating Fiji 42-36 to claim their place in the last eight while Samoa won a 52-48 thriller over Trinidad & Tobago.

Barbados picked up their first win of the tournament by beating Malaysia 62-38.