Diamonds shooter Kamwala sneaks out to Tanzania

Kukoma Diamonds and Malawi Queens’ shooter Alinafe Kamwala has sneaked out to Tanzania without her club’s clearance to play for the neigbouring country’s immigration department team during the Tanzania Netball Championship in Mwanza City from September 4 to 15.

Diamonds general secretary Chimwemwe Bakali yesterday said the club did not clear the player because her services will be required in the two-day K2 million Kombeza Big 4 Netball Bonanza at the Blantyre Youth Centre this weekend.

In a letter to Diamonds which The Nation has seen, the Tanzanian club asked for the player to be released on a short loan.

“The Tanzania Immigration netball team is requesting player Alinafe Kamwala for the Tanzania Netball Championship League…We humbly request the team to allow the player to join us during training from August 27 2018 and proceed to the tournament as per the scheduled dates.” reads the letter from the club.

Bakali said they received a request letter from the Tanzanian team on August 27, but they were surprised to learn that the player had already left for Tanzania before they could discuss her clearance.

Bakali said Diamonds have since threatened to take unspecified action against the Tanzanian outfit if they feature the lofty shooter, who is expected to be summoned for a disciplinary hearing upon her return.

“After receiving the request letter from the Tanzanian club on Monday, the executive committee met yesterday [Wednesday] and decided not to clear the player because we have tough assignments that needed her services,” Bakali said.

“We were not trying to deny her an opportunity to play in the foreign land, but, as a Diamonds’ player, she needs to abide by her contractual obligation that demands her to take the club’s commitments as priority.”

Article 37.5 (1) of Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) constitution states that “a player shall be deemed on loan if and when she has been released by her club or team to join another club or team under a contract that clearly stipulates that it is a loan transfer.”

Kamwala, who was not available for comment yesterday, travelled to Tanzania alongside Thunder Queens’ players Joana Kachilika and Thandi Galeta, who were released by their club.

A similar scenario occurred a few months ago when Malawi Queens’ goalkeeper Laureen Ngwira joined English top-flight league outfit Team Northumbria without being authorised by her club Tigresses.

Up to now, it is not clear whether Tigresses finally agreed to let the player go.