First Lady Monica Chakwera will on April 6 host a fundraising dinner at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe to help Malawi Queens raise funds to prepare for Netball World Cup in South Africa this July.

Her aide Priscilla Chimphinda confirmed the development yesterday, saying the First Lady is doing this in her capacity as the team’s matron.

She said:”As the Queens’ matron, the First Lady would like to urge organisations and individuals to come to the dinner in their large numbers and help the team raise money for their engagements.

“The national netball team always puts Malawi on the map and they deserve adequate financial support to represent the country well at the global showpiece. We need to hold our hands and help them.”

Dinner tickets are in first class will see individuals paying K5 million to sit with the First Lady while  VVIP gold will have a table of five at K10 million. Platinum, corporate and individuals tables of five will go at K5 million, K3 million and K1.5 million, respectively. Singles will pay K150 000.

The world’s sixth-ranked Queens need K350 million to fulfil their engagement, including competing at the World Cup, which will be held on African soil for the first time, between July 24 and August 6.

Apart from the K350 million, they also need K190 million to participate in the eight-team PacificAus Sports Netball Series in Queensland, Australia between April 24 and 29.

Netball Association of Malawi vice-president Chimwemwe Bakali said they were grateful to the First Lady for the initiative.

“The Queens are in dire need of financial support and the First Lady’s initiative is a big boost. We are hopeful that many people will come out and help,” he said.

At the global the showpiece, 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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