Double joy for Towera

Malawi netball export Towera Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda has retained the Players’ Player of the Season Award for her United Kingdom (UK) top-flight league side Strathclyde Sirens.

To put an icing on the cake, she also bagged the Gilbert Player of the Match Award in her last home game of the Vitality Netball Superleague season on Friday night despite her team narrowly losing 41-42 to Wasps.

The 31-year-old’s individual brilliance has stood out at a time her team is struggling in the league  which they are likely to miss a top-eight finish, a requirement to qualify for the Fast5 Championship.

 The latest result means they have dropped to ninth on the log-table with 18 points from 19 games, three points behind eigth-placed Surrey Storm.

“Yesterday, it was fun. We played our last home game match of the 2022 season. What a game we had, losing by a single goal. I am proud of myself [for] I got player of the match award and the 2022 Players’ Player of the Season Award at my club. God is awesome,” she wrote on her Facebook page.

Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda also paid tribute to her teammates and coaching staff for being part of her success story.

In an interview yesterday, the former Kukoma Diamonds player said she was happy with the awards.

“It was a double celebration for me for being voted players player of the season at my club and scooping the player of the match. Honestly it just gives me courage and motivation,” she said.

“You know the feeling of knowing that your fellow teammates have chosen you as the player of the season at the club for the second time in a row.”

However, the Malawi Queens star said she felt bad that her team did not perform as expected.

Currently, Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda leads in two of the league’s six statistical charts. With 60 intercepts, she tops the list of most intercepts.

She also has the most turnovers with 106.

Last season, Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda also won the Vitality Superleague Players’ Player of the Season Award.

Her compatriot, shooter Joyce Mvula,  won the accolade the previous season.

Mvula’s side Manchester Thunder leads the 11-team log-table with 57 points from 19 games and was yesterday expected to face Loughborough Lightning in the playoffs semi-finals.

Mvula is third on the league’s list of leading scorers with 668 goals. Ugandan shooter Peace Priscovia of Surrey Storm leads the pack with 853. London Pulse’s Assaindey Olivia Tchine is second leading scorer on 686.

Meanwhile, Australia-based Malawi Queens shooter Mwawi Kumwenda on Sunday notched 43 goals out of 51 attempts to inspire Suncorp Super Netball League leaders Melbourne Vixens to a 64-60 win over Sunshine Coast Lightning. The win means Vixens are just a win away from securing the minor premiership and a potential home grand final.

Kumwenda is currently second on the list of players with the most offensive rebounds. She has 38, two behind the leader Jhanele Fowler of West Coast Fever. She is also third on leading scorers’ ladder with 483. Fowler is on top with 696 followed by Shimona Nelson of Collingwood Magpies.

Vixens lead the table with 40 points from 12 games, eight points ahead of second-placed West Coast Fever.

Malawi Queens coach Peace Chawinga-Kaluwa yesterday said she was happy with the individual perfomance of the three professionals, saying that will help a lot as Malawi competes in the Commonwealth Games this July.