Queens ready for Silver Ferns challenge
Malawi Queens and hosts New Zealand’s Silver Ferns are ready to face off today in the opening game of the Taini Jamison Trophy at North Shore Events Centre in Auckland.
According to national netball team physical trainer Griffin Saenda Jnr, the team is fired up following the arrival in the squad of foreign-based players, namely shooters Mwawi Kumwenda and Joyce Mvula alongside defender Laureen Ngwira.
“We are much prepared for the showpiece tomorrow [today]. The coming in of foreign based-players has brought confidence in the team and nothing can stop us from making a good start to the four-nation competition,” he said.
“It is also this first game that will help us to know our strengths and weaknesses ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Australia in the next few weeks.”
However, Saenda Jnr said they are yet to come up with the first seven for the match.
Meanwhile, New Zealand coach Janine Southby has said she is very cautious with her approach to their encounters in the competition.
“I think we have lots of challenges; all the teams provide different challenges and we totally respect all of them as they have got great athletes,” she was quoted as saying by www.nzherald.co.nz yesterday.
“Jamaica is a team that when they get things right, they challenge any team and have the capability of taking any team, and Malawi is the same. They have both grown in confidence over the last number of years and while that is great for netball, it certainly makes it uncomfortable for the rest of us.”
Queens’ next match is against Fiji tomorrow before facing Jamaica on Friday. n
