Malawi Queens coach Peace Chawinga-Kaluwa has lamented the struggles by new players to adapt to the senior national netball team’s system of play ahead of the 2023 World Netball Cup this July.

She said after over a week of the two-week first camping assessment at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences Sports Complex in Blantyre, it has not been an easy task for the new faces to cope with the philosophy.

Thepeteya drilling the Queens last week

At least 14 new faces made the 25-player local-based squad following pressure from netball stakeholders who agreed that the old guard needs to be replaced as part of the Queens’ transition.

The Queens are racing against time to be in good shape before the global showpiece throws off on July 28 in Cape Town, South Africa.

When asked about the progress of the camping, Chawinga-Kaluwa said: “All I can say is that there is a long way to go for the new players to fully adapt to the national team’s system.

“They have come from different clubs, where they are exposed to different styles and it is taking time for them to adapt to the required standards.”

On whether the players will be able to adapt to the system in time for the World Cup, the coach said: “I hope so. But at present, we are moving at a slow pace. Maybe with time, things might change for the better.”

On the other hand, the Queens physical trainer Madano Thepeteya said the players are progressing well in terms of physical fitness.

The first camping, which will wind up at the end of this week, is the second of the nine stages that NAM set up for the Queens’ tune-ups, which started over four weeks ago with the national trials.

Former Queens player Anne Mopiha yesterday said it will be folly for the Queens to go to the World Cup with most of the new faces because they do not have ample time to adapt to the system.

“At present, the World Cup is too close for the Queens to polish up the new players in good time. We were supposed to start this exercise a long time ago and not a few months ahead of the tournament,” she said.

“If we are serious about doing well at the World Cup this year, we should just swallow our pride for now and concentrate on preparing the old guards.

“It is only after the competition that we can introduce a nursery and fully focus on the transition process by drilling young players of various age ranges such as Under-21 and Under-23 ahead of the other next events.”

The squad has eight players that were part of the recent World Cup qualifiers, namely shooters Sindi Simtowe-Msowoya and Jane Chimaliro, centres Takondwa Lwazi-Chiwaya and Shira Dimba, wing-attacker Thandi Galeta and defenders Grace Mwafulirwa-Mhango, Laureen Ngwira as well as wing-defender Martha Dambo.

Centre Bridget Kumwenda and shooter Tendai Masamba, who were part of the qualifiers, were left out while shooter Alinafe Kamwala and defender Juliet Sambo were recalled.

The new faces include shooters Salomy Nkhoma, Brenda Kapira, Stella Matelezi and Nancy Njawala; centres Lellie Banda, Eluby Chikooka, Lusako Mhango, Flora Chipeta, Mervis Msungama, Alice Mvula and Florence Gamuka. There are also defenders Chifuniro Moses, Shabel Bengo, Maggie Sikwese and Beauty Basiyao.

NAM vice-president Chimwemwe Bakali yesterday said they are hoping that the players will be in good shape by the time all the preparations conclude.

But he said this will be possible once the government and other stakeholders release funding for further preparations.

The national netball team has been invited to an international netball series in the Asian Pacific Region, which requires over K190 million to fulfil.

Queens official sponsors FDH Bank provided K21.5 million for the preliminary preparations.

“We are just keeping fingers crossed that government will financially support the Queens in good time to ensure all the gaps as regards to preparations are filled,” Bakali said.

At the World Cup, which will take place on African soil for the first time, the world’s sixth-ranked Queens are in Group B alongside third-ranked England, 10th-placed Scotland and 14th-ranked Barbados.

Group A has Australia, Zimbabwe, Fiji and Tonga while hosts South Africa will take on Jamaica, Wales and Sri Lanka in Group C. Reigning champions New Zealand are in Group D alongside Uganda, Singapore and Trinidad & Tobago.

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