Malawians are very foolish to demand the best from Queens when they are least funded—Fryson Chodzi

* Malawi netball has never broken into top 4 and likely never to, if we continue with the current trends

* Of all the top 10 teams in the world of netball, it’s the least funded, whose players live like beggars

By Duncan Mlanjira

Writing on his Facebook page, national coordinator for Forum for National Development, Fryson Chodzi opines that Malawians are very foolish to demand the best from Malawi Queens when they are not well supported to strengthen their capabilities.

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He maintains that Malawi netball “has never broken into top 4 and likely never to, if we continue with the current trends”, adding that “of all the top 10 teams in the world of netball, it’s the least funded, whose players live like beggars”.

“Truth be told, none of the girls that are doing Malawi pride can afford to buy a car — its only Mwawi Kumwenda and Joyce Mvula who can do that.

“I have noted the level of criticism that members of the Queens squad playing in the World Cup tournament in South Africa got when the team lost against England as well as Australia. I also noted that Mwawi Kumwenda was the target of the hate from most people in Malawi who some don’t even understand what goes on in the sport circles in Malawi.

Mwawi Kumwenda (centre)

“Mwayi Kumwenda is the biggest export from Africa in terms of netball. She is the pacesetter in terms of netball trends not only for Malawi but entire Africa.

“Contrary to the assertions by other quarters that no player is bigger than the team, Mwawi Kumwenda is bigger than the team. Just like Lionel Messi or Christian Ronado, there are some standards that are demanded for best players in the world.

“I know as Malawians have not come to terms with the stature of Mwawi in terms of world netball — she is big and I feel the only reason she comes and play for the Queens is the love of Malawi and not money.”

Thus Chonzi maintains that “Malawians are very foolish to demand the best from the Queens or the Flames or any other sports discipline for that matter — yet we cannot provide the best to our sports women and men”.

Fryson Chodzi

He stresses that the Queens “are the poorest among the top 10 teams in the world and if FDH Bank did not come to the rescue, as we are speaking, the Queens would not have been in Cape Town playing”.

He also took a swipe at Malawi National Council of Sports Board chairperson, Sunduzwayo Madise, whom he saw talking to the Queens in Cape Town in a video that was shared on social media, alluding that he was “being lodged at an hotel, had an air ticket courtesy of the tax payer’s money, yet the Queens had no money to have a better camp and even failed to play warm-up matches before the World Cup”.

“Then we had President [Lazarus Chakwera] calling the Queens to wish them well, yet just few weeks ago his own government was saying had no money to support the Queens’ camp.

President Chakwera offering his moral support

“That is ridiculous and hypocritical. My plea to President Chakwera, when these girls are back from World Cup, be it position 7 or 8, don’t just invite them for lunch at Kamuzu Palace, at least purchase 20 Mazda Demio’s (you can afford them, Sir) give each of these girls a car as an appreciation of their exploits.

“Maybe then next time we can demand more from them, otherwise they are doing the best they can do under the circumstances.

“The same can be said to the poor Queens coach and technical teams who are paid peanuts, yet suffer all the insults. At least, let’s pay the coach a minimum of K2 million — he deserve it than most useless MPs who are paid a fortune for being stupid and proposes bills that just fatten their wallets than bringing smiles on the faces of people of Malawi like what the Queens have done.”

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In response to Chodzi’s opinion on the treatment of Mwawi when she snubbed the coach as he tried to bring her in against England, Chatinkha Chidzanja Nkhoma alluded that it seems success has gone to the player’s head.

“Mwawi was made big by her involvement with the Queens and our tax money,” she said. “She can NEVER be bigger than the team because her alone cannot make a squad and her alone can’t win against those other teams.

“It’s boring when people use the same ladder that took them to the top and start to pompously brag and undermine it. The coach should have been respected not her dictating how she should play.

“Kaya walemela (if she feels very rich), she should humbly look back where and how she got there. Sports has a very short lifespan. Muuzeni kuti uprofessional wo (being a professional player) is just a label.”

On his part on Chodzi’s suggestion that the Queens should be bought cars as a reward and motivation, Tawonga Kalolokesya said: “If they can’t afford a car, then why give them one”, adding that all that Dzonzi said “is true but we should tackle these issues from the roots — sport administration”.

To which Chodzi agreed, saying “sports administrators take on more than the players themselves”.

Meanwhile, Malawi Queens beat Tonga for the second time in three days to claim 7th spot at the Netball World Cup after beating 64-54 today.

This was their second triumph over Tonga having beaten them 56-51 on Thursday and in today’s match, the Queens got the better of the Tala’s with. 10-goal gap.

They opened their campaign by beating Scotland 54-49 before losing 39-62 against England in the next and thumped Barbados 84:48 in the third match.

In the match against Australia the Queens managed to rattle the world No. 1 by drawing 28-28 at half time but an injury by playmaker Lwazi in the third quarter disturbed coach Sam Kanyenda’s game plan and they went on to lose 46-70.

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