Meet the bubbly Mary ‘Atcheya’ Waya

Mary Waya, a.k.a Atcheya, started playing professional netball at the tender age of 14. Now 39, she has established herself as Malawi’s most celebrated netball player and the 6th top netball player worldwide. With over three awards to her name, this powerhouse has managed to turn Malawian netball into something inspiring to watch.

Who is Mary Waya?

A 39-year retired professional netball player and single mother of two handsome boys. My firstborn is 15 years old and the second one is 11. I am the 12th born child in a family of 13 children. I hold  a diploma in electronic engineering and currently work as a technician at Sky Band. I have been in netball circle for 28 years.

 

What was it like, growing up with 12 brothers and sisters?

I had a lot of playmates! My parents never liked us moving around the neighbourhood and they often bought us a ball to play with. Little did they know that they were raising a sporty family.

My father, a police officer, played football in his spare time and my mother, a housewife/ small scale business person, played netball. So, I would boldly say I loved growing up in a big family. It was fantastic and we enjoyed every moment. I enjoyed cultivating the fields and eating pumpkins.

 

How old were you when you started playing netball?

I started playing when I was 11 years, but got into it professionally at age 14. My first team was Tobacco Oriental sisters back in Mzuzu.

 

Fourteen is quite young. How did you cope?

I was scared, but when they drafted me, I had to go. I loved the game too much to let my fears control me.  I remember I was in Std 7 at the time and playing with the likes of Jessie Mwale, Eunice Bauleni, Connis Mhone, some of whom have passed on. I went there to play and to learn, and I think they loved me because I was a good learner.

 

You are one of the best players the country has ever had; to what do you owe this?

I always learn and practise. I am passionate about netball; therefore, learning new things is easy. Another thing is that I liked to try out new techniques. Because of this, up to now, my playing skills are always evolving.

 

Did you ever feel you had to prove something when playing?

There was a time from 2002 when I gained a lot of weight and many people wrote me off. They thought I could never be the best at what I did anymore. I felt the ridicule when playing, but I tried my best not to let my weight reflect on my game or mess up my skills. I gave the game my all and a lot of people failed to understand how I could be so heavy and still play so hard.

 

You say you are 39, yet records show that you are over 40?

I was born in 1972 and not 1968 as most people believe. I started playing at age 14 and since children were not allowed to have their own passports at the time, the team I was playing for agreed to add on a few more years, so I could be offered the passport. That is what happened and in actual fact, I am 39.

 

Some players don’t play so well as they used to as they grow older while in your case, you seem to be improving with age. What do you do?

It’s how I manage and deal with my body. Right now, my challenge is my knees as I feel pain. I think the best remedy is to try as much as possible not to relax as your body is growing. As people put on weight, they tend to slacken and ‘listen’ to their bodies. This affects their movements and actions, but I refused to let that happen. I think many players fail because they send messages to their brain that their bodies are growing. If, however, you tell yourself that you are still young, you will perform, trust me on that one.

 

How do you prepare yourself for a game?

It is of the essence to thank God and pray. Every day is important and all days are different from each other and I apply the same thing to each game I play. I forget the past to work on the future.

I try not to be affected by yesterday’s loss. As a human being, I have fears, which I shut out before each game. So far, my strategy has worked wonders.

 

What goes through your mind as you are playing a game?

I feel really good. It’s something I enjoy doing and I love it. Back then, I was one of the players who believed in juju (charms) to the point I was involved in the actual spraying of juju on the court. However, as time passed, we became civilised and learnt that juju never helps.

We were further told that practice is the only way to improve on the game and so, I became more focused. So, up until today, whenever I am playing, I concentrate and try to avoid talking and shouting as it’s stressful. I hate losing, but when we do, I just accept the outcome and move on.

 

What have you wanted to achieve in the game?

I have always wanted to be the best and I am happy I am one of the best players in the world. In fact, I am ranked 6th in the whole world.

 

You received an award on the 6th of July. Tell me, how did you feel?

I never thought my work was acknowledged to such an extent. I was the only sportswoman to receive the award and the other recipients are legends. To be among such people was a real honour for which I will forever be grateful.

 

You would like to establish a sports academy; any chance that you will train someone to become the next Mary Waya?

Why not? It’s all about persistence and caring. I was the best because I was taught by professionals. I too can do the same for anyone who has the natural aptitude and is willing to learn. I believe we have a good crop of players in the Under 20 team.

 

Do you still train?

Yes, I train to keep fit and also because I am teaching youngsters, so I have to be exemplary. Just recently, I was in Tanzania where I was training a certain young team. However, right now, my focus is to teach these youngsters in The Mary Waya Academy.

 

What is your take on netball played by the past generation and the sport played now?

In the past, there were no actual rules. We played netball plainly, but now, with the technologies that have come in, netball has evolved. It’s not the netball we knew back then. For instance, going to the gym has become mandatory. We are told to be fit and strong; something which was never emphasised on previously.

 

The Malawi national netball team seems stuck on the same position, what do you think the problem is?

We don’t prepare well and we do not have enough materials as compared to the other countries. Most of the things are improvised. For instance, we don’t have a real gym and we have to use other things which look strange and are sometimes difficult to work with. In addition, netball players have other things which they pursue out of season. In other countries, training is done every day; they never stop. I have hope that one day, we will do as our friends do. The fact that we are able to notice the loops means there is room for change.

There was a fallout in 1999 and you and other players were never called to play for the World Cup, what happened?

The coach during that time had selected a team which we thought was not good enough, so as players, we went to talk to the coach. Unfortunately, it did not go well and seven players were suspended. I am sure the coach regretted this decision because the ranking fell drastically. I think we were initially 7th and when the team was coming from New Zealand, they were ranked 11th.

 

What really happened for the veterans to stop playing?

There were so many issues, but what should be known is that I retired and the team called me to help them, which is why I went back. Otherwise, everybody knew that Mary Waya had retired. After a while, stories that we were not giving the youngsters chance surfaced. This was not true. What I hated the most was that media portrayed me as this person who does not want to leave the team.

This was totally untrue and for this reason, I have since shunned the media. They painted me black. I do not have any grudges against anyone, but what should be known is that I can never go and play netball again. People need to know that much as I was hated, I did help the players in one way or another.

Another issue which I feel should have been resolved is the need to involve the veterans in the build-up of the team. They have potential which is not being utilised. Is this fair?

What are your strengths? How about the weaknesses?

My strengths are a firm belief in myself and the wisdom God has given me. My netball skills are a result of the passion I have for the game. My weaknesses; I hate it when somebody disappoints me when I least expect it.

You were married to and separated from the late Bullets FC player Fumu Ng’oma. How did you manage to raise your children as a single parent?

It took a lot of determination and hard work. My children were affected, but I just had to be there for them. I told them we had separated and when he died, they went to the funeral. It was a very tense period, but we managed to sail through.

 

Are your children sporty?

Yes, they all like football, but I told them to work hard in school and that they can concentrate on sports thereafter.

 

What do you do when you get some time off?

I spend time with my children. I love cooking and dressing up in traditional clothes from different countries.