The year 2017 will go down in memory lane as one of the most eventful and dramatic in netball circles even though there was no active league in the Northern Region.
\nDespite Malawi national netball team\u2019s shortcomings on the international scene, events on the ground suggested that Southern Region teams were losing their grip on national tournaments, having played second fiddle to their Central Region counterparts in two major tournaments.
\nAdministratively, Netball Association of Malawi (Nam) introduced gate charges for local games following pressure from stakeholders, including sponsors and the Malawi National Council of Sports.
\nThere were events that left the netball fraternity ecstatic, including the return of GOtv Netball Champions League and the increase in sponsorship of Rainbow Paints Southern Region Netball League and Mpico Gateway Netball Challenge Cup.
\nCivonents shine
\nAfter a year-long break, MultiChoice Malawi announced the return of the GOtv Netball Champions League, which reverted to a Fast5 format.
\nThe turning back to the Fast5 format was meant to help players master rules before the 2017 Fast5 Netball World Series held in Australia.
\nRevamped Civonets were crowned champions of the GOtv Netball Champions League at Don Bosco Youth Centre in Lilongwe on September 30 after beating defending champions, Kukoma Diamonds, 26-16 in the final.
\nCivonets are the first team outside the Southern Region to win the GOtv title, and they join Diamonds (two-time winners) and Tigresses (one-time winners).
\nIn other games during the finals, Blue Eagles Sisters finished on third position after beating Mafco Soldiers 26-18 while Thunder Queens beat Tigresses 28-16 to finish on fifth and sixth places, respectively.
\nLameck Queens anchored the eight-team competition after losing to seventh-placed Mimosa 18- 16.
\nCivonets\u2019 shooter Jane Chimaliro was named best of the best, dubbed Katswiri wa Akatswiri, following her exploits on the court.
\nEagle Sisters conquer
\nAfter some misfortunes in previous two Presidential Netball Trophy finals, Eagles Sisters won their first national trophy in over two decades when they dethroned Diamonds with a 47-45 victory in the final held at Katoto Secondary School in Mzuzu on December 16.
\nEagles\u2019 victory left Southern Region teams without any national trophy as they also lost the GOtv Netball Champions League to Central Region side, Civonets.
\nThe cops received K4 million for emerging champions with runners-up, Diamonds, pocketing K2 million.
\nThunder Queens humbled Tigresses 50-46 to finish third and pocket K1 million. Tigresses received K800,000.
\nEagles defend Gateway Challenge
\nCentral Region teams were excited after Mpico Company increased sponsorship of the Gateway Netball Challenge Cup from K8 million to K25 million. K19 million was meant for prizes, with K6 million set aside for administration.
\nEagles retained the title after beating Civonets 44-39 in the final at Gateway Mall Court in Lilongwe.
\nThis was a repeat of last year\u2019s final when the two sides met, with Eagles winning the title.
\nFor emerging champions, Eagles received a trophy and K2 million, with the runners-up pocketing K1.5 million while third-placed Mafco Soldiers, who defeated Green Sisters in a battle for bronze, received K1 million.
\nCivonets\u2019 Cynthia Khunga was voted best shooter while Fanny Mwale of Mafco Soldiers was named best defender.
\nMalawi netball Queens star, Takondwa Lwazi of Eagles, won best centre award, with Green Sisters Judith Chikoka winning player of the tournament award.
\nSponsorship drought Despite being considered a catchment area for the nation, the Northern Region has been without a sponsor for three years.
\nCurrently, it is not clear if there is a deliberate move by the administrators to help the league secure sponsorship.
\nIt is without doubt that most players, whether from previous and present senior and junior squads, come from the Northern Region.
\nRainbow Paints hikes sponsorship
\nSouthern Region Netball League breathed a sigh of relief after Rainbow Paints Limited increased the league\u2019s sponsorship from K4 million to K6.7 million.
\nDiamonds are favourites to retain the league after maintaining their perfect winning run.
\nThunder Queens are following closely on second-position whereas Tigresses are on a distant third and they are mathematically out of the race.
\nGate collections
\nFollowing pieces of advice from the Sports Council and MultiChoice Malawi to commercialise the sport by, among other things, introducing gate charges, Nam took heed and implemented the initiative during the GOtv Netball Champions League.
\nThe historic matches played at Blantyre Youth Centre (BYC) grossed a meagre K119,000 over two-days.
\nAbout K89,900 was realised on the first day, with K30,000 being collected the following day.
\nThis is the first time that spectators paid K200 at the gates to watch local games.
\nThe other time that spectators paid to watch games was when Malawi hosted the Africa Netball Championship in 2013 at BYC.
\nThe 2013 feat was achieved with the supervision of Sports Council.
\nSimilarly, Nam\u2019s affiliate, the Southern Region Netball League, introduced gate fees for crucial game between rivals Diamonds and Tigresses. The match grossed K29,000 in gate collections<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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