Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) says it has started the hunt for Malawi Queens coach to be hired in February. NAM general secretary Yamikani Kauma disclosed this yesterday after being reminded that time is running out to have a coach that will prepare the team for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games scheduled from July 22 to August 2 2026. She said the association is assessing the available local coaches to see who the cap can fit.
“We are conducting performance appraisal of the entire technical panel before making substantive changes or appointments,” she said. However, she said the decision to hire the new coach on permanent or short-term basis will depend on the availability of funds from the government. Kauma also claimed that funding hitches prevents the association from looking beyond the country’s borders to hire an expatriate coach.
NAM is in search of the new coach after Peace Chawinga-Kaluwa, who guided the Queens to a fourth-place finish at the Africa Netball Cup that Malawi hosted last month, rejected to extend her short-term deal. Chawinga-Kaluwa argued she could only nod to a permanent deal as another temporary contract could undermine her work and the team’s stability. Coincidentally, Chawinga-Kaluwa and Mary Waya are the country’s highly qualified coaches with Level One coaching certificate.
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While Chawinga-Kaluwa doesn’t want a short-term deal, Waya cannot be picked since she is a deputy director responsible for capacity building and schools sport in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. But when asked if NAM will find a suitably qualified local coach, Kauma said Malawi has capable coaches with level two and three certificate, who can deliver upon undergoing refresher courses. “We will assess the coaches we have to see who is fit for the job,” she said.
Sports Ministry spokesperson MacMillan Mwale yesterday said they can only respond to NAM’s decision on hiring a new coach once they make a proposal. Meanwhile, netball analyst Neffie Kammata yesterday said any qualified coach can fit into the Queens’ coaching role since the team is in the transition stage.
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