Kukoma give Vinkhumbo- Nyirenda a hearty send-off

Local netball giants Kukoma Diamonds on Tuesday gave their former goal defender Towera Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda a hearty send-off as she prepares to start a new lease of life at English Superleague outfit Severn Stars.

The Capital Oil Refining Industry (Cori)-sponsored side gave the Malawi Queens star a K200 000 starterpack as a token of appreciation for her contribution towards the team over the years.

Popularly known as ‘Tobe’ in the netball circles, the 28-year-old netballer was scheduled to leave the country yesterday.

Diamonds chairperson Lumbani Mtonyo said: “As Kukoma Diamonds, we are so happy that our player is going to play for one of the top leagues in the world and alongside our sponsors, we would want to export as many players as possible overseas.”

She said although the team was not directly involved in the player’s transfer, they did not want to block her from prospects of a bright future.

“We were not involved much in the deal, but we wouldn’t want to hinder her career, considering that she has been a loyal ambassador of the Kukoma brand for quite a while.

“Nevertheless, in future we would love to see a proper procedure of handling player transfers that would also benefit both the player and the club,” said Mtonyo.

Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda thanked Diamonds for allowing her to join the English club despite having a running contract.

“Diamonds will forever remain close to my heart and I wish them well for the future.

“To the sponsors, Cori, I am very thankful for their gesture and their continued support to the team. I will work hard to make my country proud,” she said.

Cori sponsorship coordinator Violet Kapolo said they are proud to be contributing towards netball development through the team’s sponsorship. “We thought it was important to give Towera a starterpack for her dedication to the team,” she said.