Blue Eagles Sisters retain Gateway Cup
Blue Eagles Sisters on Tuesday, Mothers Day, won the Gateway’s Netball Challenge Cup after beating Mafco Sisters 42-36 to win the cup for the fourth consecutive seasons.
The finals, played at Gateway Mall Court in Lilongwe, saw CivoNets finishing third.
CivoNets finished as runners-up from 2016 to 2018.
Eagles Sisters registered 18-8, in the first quarter, 16-15 in the second, 24-31 in the third and 42-36 in the fourth.
Blue Eagles assistant coach Cecilia Mtukule Bondwe said the victory has proved their prowess.
“It is now sealed. It’s all about team spirit and hard-work,” she said.
Mafco coach Dennis Nkhonga blamed the loss on poor officiation.
“They could have assigned an experienced umpire to officiate the game. My girls were frustrated with some decisions mostly in the third quarter,” he said.
As champions, Eagles received K4 million, Mafco got K2 million, CivoNets, who beat Boma Sisters 16-14 in third place, received K1.5 million.
Boma Sisters, a reserve side for CivoNets, received K1.2 million for finishing fourth while Green Sisters, Area 30 Olembe Queens and Don Bosco received K900 000, K800 000, K700 000 and K600 000 for finishing fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth in that order.
Mpico plc financial controller Cosmas Katulukira pledged to continue sponsoring the competition.
“We are impressed and I can assure netball fans that we will continue sponsoring this cup. We will increase the sponsorship in the next edition,” he said.
Both Central Region Netball Committee (CRNC) general secretary John Mhanjiri and Rose Chinunda, who spoke on behalf of Netball Association of Malawi (NAM), thanked Mpico for supporting netball.
Eliza Makwale (Olembe Sisters), Merenia Gideon (Mafco) and Rose Mkanda (CivoNets) were voted as best shooter, best defender and best Centre, respectively. They all received miniatures and K70 000 each.
Eagles’ centre Molly Chisambiro scooped the K100 000 player of the tournament award. Sibongire Moyo was best umpire and she received K75 000.
