Nyambadwe Primary School embraces gendaball

Nyambadwe Primary School in Blantyre is set to become the first school to form a gendaball team.

Gendaball, a relatively new sport in the country, is gaining momentum, especially among the youth in the commercial city.

One of the teachers at the school, Mogra Ken Hauya, said many pupils have developed passion for the sport.

“A number of pupils have been enquiring about the sport since its local coordinator [Hamilton Kadyerawana] and his team came here to introduce it last week.

“We are even thinking of becoming the first school to form a team so that we can play against other institutions or schools which have embraced the sport,” he said.

Robert Nyaka, a 14-year-old Standard Seven pupil at the school, said he likes the sport because of its uniqueness.

“It is an exciting sport which does not involve physical contact, but requires a lot of concentration and focus,” he said.

Gendaball which was invented by Francis Mwalabu— a Malawian based in Ethiopia—is played using a soft ball, slightly bigger than a tennis ball, which is thrown directly onto a scoreboard comprising 16 holes of varying sixes and point values.

The ball is thrown from a playing court comprising 10 throw stations grouped at four distance levels from the board.

Kadyerawana said they are still courting potential sponsors and, apart from educational institutions, they are also targeting corporate companies. n