To mourners trooping out of Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital mortuary, the sight of the Blantyre Youth Centre (BYC) is insignificant and cannot soothe the pain of losing a loved one. The irony is striking.
Mayo, amuna anga ineee!
A heartbroken woman in tears drags herself past BYC with no or little attention.
Ambulance sirens blaring and red lights flashing threateningly drive to and from the country’s biggest referral hospital.
Traffic of ‘pick-ups’ carrying coffins sandwiched by grief-stricken people driving at a snail’s pace off the mortuary is for once a negligible sight in a conservative society.
Yet just opposite the hospital the sports facility is packed to the seams. Fans are glued to the eight-member four-day 2013 Africa Netball Championship that threw off on June 24.
To the fans inside the BYC, it is easy to forget that just opposite the sports facility some people are groaning and mourning. They clap hands, yell, sing and dance. Unstrained.
Even Flames fan Raphael Nasimba is in the terraces in his red, black and green complete with scarves hanging all over his body from toe to head.
Across the road, second hand clothes traders and other vendors are making a killing. The vendors and their merchandise have instantly multiplied since June 24 when the continental netball showpiece threw off.
“The customers have multiplied, too. It is all due to netball. Unfortunately, I am too busy to watch the action,” says a kaunjika vendor, smiling as she refuses to disclose her name.
Such was the new lease of life around the Ginnery Corner in Blantyre.
Whether it is employees feigning illness, guardians from the hospital stopping to peep at the netball action, pupils sneaking out of school and the jobless finding something to keep them busy, the bug of the biggest netball championship spared a few.
Footballers Richard Chipuwa, Swadick Sanudi, Flames coach Eddington Ng’onamo, darts player Chipi Mzanda and boxer Agnes Mtimaukanena are willing fans of the netball action.
“Flames yatinamiza kwa nthawi yaitali [the Flames have disappointed us for a long time],” yells a fan.
And so are politicians such as Moses Dossi and Humphrey Mvula spotted in different occasions feasting their eyes on the action. The continent’s biggest netball showpiece ran from June 24 to 28.
“I came after watching Tigresses in one of the league games. That is when my interest developed; otherwise, I am a Mighty Wanderers football fan,” Mvula told the press on the sidelines of hosts Malawi Queens’ opening game against Zimbabwe at College of Medicine Sports Complex.
The action later moved to BYC which is now wearing a new face with two courts.
Malawians are always reluctant to pay to watch netball, but not with this event that also pooled South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Uganda, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
