Diamonds only unbeaten team in GOtv Netball
The first round of the GOtv Netball Champions League completed on Sunday at Blantyre Youth Centre (BYC) with defending champions Kukoma Diamonds emerging as the eight-team competition’s only unbeaten outfit.
They will get into the second stage scheduled for September 16 and 17 at Katoto Secondary School in Mzuzu as leaders and favourites having won all their four encounters 33-25 against Tigresses, 30-4 against Lameck Queens, 31-21 against Blue Eagles Sisters and 36-27 against Thunder Queens.
“We are on a good course for a successful title defence. This is a great start for us and we will try our best to keep it this way in the next two rounds. I thank the players for putting up a gallant fight to achieve this feat,” said Diamonds’ coach Griffin ‘Zagalo’ Saenda.
Tigresses, Eagles, Thunder, Civonets and Mafco triumphed in two matches each while Mzuzu-based Mimosa Queens and Lameck Queens returned home empty-handed following three-straight losses apiece.
But the biggest surprise of the two-day first round was Mafco Soldiers’ historic 23-21 over their bigger opponents Eagles.
Eagles’ captain Takondwa Lwazi-Mtonga said their defeat was not a big issue “because the Fast5 formatted competition is unpredictable”.
The matches were broadcast live on Zodiak Television through DStv channel 297 and GOtv channel 92 as a way of increasing the popularity of the sport in Malawi, according to MultiChoice Malawi sales and marketing manager Chimwemwe Nyirenda.
“The games have been beamed live for the first time across the country to increase viewership of the tournament. The same will happen with the contest’s next two rounds in Mzuzu and Lilongwe,” he said. n
