Queens new expatriate coach vows to meet targets

Malawi National Netball Team expatriate coach Debbie Fuller says she will meet the targets set by the Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) to guide the Queens to a top seven finish at the 2026 Glasgow Comminwealth Games and to qualify for the 2027 Netball World Cup. The New Zealand netball legend said this yesterday during her welcoming press briefing at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences Sports Complex in Blantyre. “They [targets] are realistic and attainable.

Malawi has quality players good enough to succeed on the international stage, but they only need a bit of polishing to achieve the feat,” said Fuller. “With what I have observed in the three days I have been in camp, I have no doubt that I will meet the targets that NAM set for me. Netball is not just what I do as a coach but it’s part of me.

We have amazing talent in Malawi and I am proud to be here and support.” But Fuller said her main focus will be on polishing up the Queens’ transition during matches. “Overall, the Queens’ performance is not bad only that sometimes they easily get excited and lose focus. There is great potential in this team, but there is need for consistency.

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We have to work on polishing some areas that require technical ability,” she said. “I have noted that Malawi has incredible talent that only need fine-tuning to succeed. The speed and hard-work among the players is encouraging.

We will build the team around such qualities to have a strong team,” she said. On her part, NAM president Vitumbiko Gubuduza said they are hopeful that Fuller will help Malawi Queens get back to its old glory starting with the Commonwealth Games in Scotland this July. “We believe that we can become the best if we have the support from the best.

With Debbie leading the Queens technical panel, we hope to get back to where we belong. We want Malawi to be excellent in women’s sport,” she said. Malawi National Council of Sports acting-chief executive officer Ivy Chinangwa said government has welcomed the expatriate coach and will always be available when needed.

For over the past decade, the Queens have dropped three places on world rankings. In 2012, they were ranked fifth and number one in Africa, but they are now eighth in the world and third on the continent.

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