Monday, 4 December 2017

SCRAP-OFF SOME POWERS FROM REFEREES; INSTITUTE ‘MAR” TO QUELL NOISE IN MALAWI FOOTBALL


referees stepping on the pitch


Many Super Leagues in the world are in middle of their 2017/18 football season; EPL, Bundesliga, Laliga, League 1, Serie A, ABSA premiere; just notable. In Malawi Tnm super league has entered finishing-line with very few weeks to windup the season. Meanwhile, a more disheartening disease has surfaced to a full brown in the game this season, triggering my hands’ central fingers to type what appears like ‘voice of a baby’ in the middle of lake-of stars festive sounds.

The news earlier in the year that Paris St- Germain’s (PSG) Football Club president had written UEFA detailing what the French champions believed were mistakes by the referee in charge of their 6-1 second leg humiliating defeat by Barcelona in the Champions league did not strike my brain with surprise at all. According to MARCA report dated 14/03/2017 07:12 CET titled El PSG Eleva su protesta a la UEFA, the PSG president even attached supporting visuals to validate the argument leveled against the officiating men. This typically testifies how club administrators and soccer fans are fed up with obvious or indeed questionable decisions of officiating squad which have proven to be costly to the game but also clubs’ endeavors. The dubious and hair raising referees’ decisions in the ULC quarterfinals involving Leicester vs Atletico Madrid (first leg), Bayern Muchen vs Real Madrid (second leg), and Barcelona vs PSG (second leg) provided even a more big room for criticisms against these whistle men. 

SPANISH LEAGUE SLIPUPS 

Media reports in Spain indicate that the Spanish League is a host of poor officiating standards. Not because that all the UEFA league officiating mistakes cited above were committed in Spain, but even in that country’s local league there has been accumulation of complaints on devastative refereeing.  
 ‘At one point, Barcelona Fc dressing room was said to have been hit with a tsunami following a ghost goal according to reports in Catalonia. A 1-1 draw at Real Betis earlier in the year was said to be responsible for sliming chances of third straight Laliga title and the result was made worst by the fact that the referee waved play-on after Neymar’s deflected shot was cleared from behind the line.  It was the latest in a long line of what Barcelona claimed to be poor decisions by the officials which had cost the Catalans points in that season, reported Anderson Richardson on; The Sun, 31st January 2017.

There have been numerous questionable decisions made in that league in the previous season alone with the last coming on the final day of the La liga. A prolific social media (Whatsapp) Sports News and Live Commentary provider, DUTA, questioned the penalty which was awarded to Barcelona in the last game against Eibar. From the commentary, it was apparent that the referee had goofed.
Barcelona Vs Eibar (Yoel saves Messi penalty 70’) + penalty call’. What was that? Alba trips over his own feet and goes down with no Eibar players anywhere near him. The referee awards a penalty though. Messi’s effort is then saved. Justice served! Click to watch the video http://goo.gl/jqFZAZreported Duta which publishes using +917550041391 whatsapp line. 


Nobody knows, too, if the referee just wanted to give Barca advantage of pressuring their old rival Real Madrid for the title until the final whistle. It was too late to save, anyway, because by that minute mark Madrid had already done itself a favour for the glory having led Malaga 2-0.
But if what Pique claimed in an interview is something to go by, then it is potentially clean to think the referees have had a hand in deciding results of some La liga games. Gerard Pique claimed that the referees in Spain influenced the outcome of the La Liga title race as the Barcelona defender reiterated a call for Video Technology to be introduced (https://goo.gl/aMKcZW ). The Spain international has been criticizing officials on several occasions both in person and through social media and was at once fined £3, 000 in March 2017 for some remarks.

“The referees have been able to influence things; I’m not going to draw up a list of when we have been favoured or when it’s happened to our opponents,” Pique told a news conference ahead of 27th May 2017 Copa del Rey final against Alaves. “It is still clear that we should implement VAR, which would have been decisive” said Pique.  

MLS LEAGUE SLIPS

The America’ MLS is neither spared. A disappointed fan wrote two years ago on VICE Sports RSS Feed about “incompetent referees wrecking MLS”.

“I’m tired of MLS referees being afraid to make penalty shot calls. I just watched a game where 2 blatant penalties in the box were not called. One a bear hug and pull down and the other the goalie taking out the legs of a striker without ever getting a touch on the ball. Both were obvious penalties, with blatant disregard by the referee. The offending team won their home game by 1 goal. 

It is becoming increasingly frustrating to see these kind of outcomes due to poor officiating. It also irritates me that players and coaches are not allowed to voice complaints about the poor officiating without being fined/sanctioned by MLS. They are required to keep their mouths shut; this allows poor officiating to flourish. I want to support MLS but it is getting increasingly difficult to watch MLS referees who don’t have the integrity to make the necessary penalty shot call when blatant fouls are made in the penalty area.”

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE GOOFS 

England is another sporting nation heavily hit by the questionable referees’ decisions. In a rare interviews given by Mark Cletternburg, the celebrated referee conceded that he does make mistakes sometimes. In the hours and even days after blowing the final whistle, he said that he normally endures hidden anguish as the decisions made during 90minutes of refereeing whirl through his mind.
“If I make a mistake, it beats me up” he admitted during a rare interview with Rob Harris. I suppose that is something I struggled with in the early part of my career where I couldn’t park it and soon I’d make another mistake.” 

“You have many video clips sent to you on your phone, you have comments on your phone after the match. Said the 41 old referee. “You will know if you have done ok or not. Then you start reflecting on what you could have done differently. Nearly every game you want to do something differently.” He said he consults psychologists. “The mental strength of refereeing now is probably one of the biggest things.

Ref Cletternburg mentioned his memorable mistake in the recent career history. “FA cup finals Manchester United against Crystal palace. I remember coming off the FA cup final disappointed. I felt I could have done better. I’d been criticized in all shapes and sizes from different parts of social media on one decision in particular where I could have played advantage, I should have done better.” The decisions went against palace.  Wrote Rob Harris on IRISH EXAMINER; 02 January 2017.
On 21st March 2015, West Bromwich Albion Manager Tony Pulis called for referee reviews on the day of controversy for official-having felt that referee decisions changed the game in which his team went down 3-0 to Manchester City. Pulis complaint came after referee Neil Swarbrick sent off Gareth McAuley instead of Craig Dawson during the game. Swarbrick then apologized for the error.

In the same season, BBC Sport reported that Leicester City Manager Nigel Pearson called Mike Dean “arrogant” after his performance in the foxes’ 4-3 defeat against Tottenham. The Foxes’ were then fighting for survival in the Premier League when they were graced with the bad luck of referee decisions.  In another fixture, Manager Aitor Karanka claimed assistant referee laughed after disallowing a goal for his Middleborough side in their 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth. And these incidents came three weeks after Sunderland defender Wes Brown was mistakenly sent off by Roger East during the Black Cats’ 2-0 defeat by Manchester United.

On 3rd October 2015, the then Chelsea Manager Jose Mourinho got punished for criticizing referee Robert Madley following a 3-1 loss to Southamption. Mourinho said referees were “afraid” to give penalties and told officials to “be honest with us”, implying bias, according to an independent panel. Yet the then Everton Manager, Roberto Mertinez went free in the England streets despite calling a referee’ performance “diabolic”. 

‘The Mirror Football’ reported that the Current Manchester United Boss; Mourinho, racked up £141, 000 in fines since his return to Chelsea. While the Portuguese might have his own innate disciplinary concerns but analysis of the cases has shown that he was not always the offender. Only that he lacked power to stand behind him to claim his justice. How could he be punished for kicking his own bottle in the technical square? Who does not have emotions? I thought yellow and red cards were produced to control emotions and behaviours when somebody has breached rules…where were the cards? 

No wonder James Gray of the “EXPRESS” reported in October 2015 that an Ex-referee blasted FA inconsistency and spoke in support of Jose Mourinho. He quoted former elite referee Mark Halsey who slammed the FA for what he described as double standards. “You look at Arsene Wenger, he came out and criticized Mike dean md nothing was said: he wrote in a column for Goal.com.
“We’ve seen it in the past, Wenger pushed Mourinho last season and the FA didn’t take any action. “You get Nigel Pearson holding a Crystal Palace player down on the floor, threatening to knock his block off, and yet the FA don’t take action.

“I’m just as miffed as Chelsea and Mourihno because the punishment, for me, is far excessive for the crime and as for what he (Mourihno) said about him only being punished by the FA, I think he’s right, as the proof is there in the pudding” said Halsey.
In which otherwise, he meant that the officials including the referees had been inconsistent as many of those FA cases against Mourihno were originating from referee’ judgments on the pitch.  

The fixture between Tottenham and Liverpool in the same 2014/2015 season presented a good home for refereeing scrutiny. Mark Hasley who is a prominent refereeing expert since he got retired believed that it should have been the Tottenham manager, Mauricho Pochettino, not the Liverpool midfielder, who should have been given his marching orders.

“James Milners’ clash with Danny Rose was all about managing the game and you have to ask whether it was careless, reckless, reckless with excessive force, or an incident collision?” said Halsey.

IN AFRICA 

BBC SPORT reported on 22 November 2016 that Confederation of African Football had suspended two referees and one assistant referee after poor performances in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in November.

Ghanaian Joseph Lamptey incorrectly awarded South Africa a penalty in their 2-1 win over Senegal and FIFA has just ordered replay of the match later in November 2017. Kenyan referee Davies Omweno denied Libya what was a valid goal in their 1-0 defeat by Tunisia as Assistant referee Brhe O’michael of Eritrea, had wrongly flagged offside.

The same Lamptey is reported to have previously served a six-month ban for wrongly awarding a goal during a CAF Champions league semi-final in 2010. Equally, Omweno was also criticized for ‘poor performance’ which CAF said included “wrong positioning and movement, incorrect identification of fouls and failure to administer some disciplinary sanctions.

In South Africa a Moroka Swallows player was yellow carded for crawling his legs over the ball. The incident brought nothing but deep laughter to SuperSport Analysts who felt the player did not commit any offense by using his legs (not any part of restricted organ such as the arm) to craw on over the ball.

 IN MALAWI

Inconsistent decisions by Chiziwiso Simbi, referee of the day during 2017/18 FAM Charity Shield game between Nyasa Big Bullets and Kamuzu Barracks on 15th April 2017, was the starting point of what people have so far experienced from the referees in the season. A penalty awarded to KB which many analysts believed was a mere infringement between goalkeeper and a KB player was just one of the many attracting points of debate for the day.  As the game grew old, the referee was seen delaying to award what was meant to be instantly whistled against. In the end, a player sustained a preventable injury while hoping for the ref to caution the tackle. This was a ribbon-cutting to ref’ poor performances in 2017/18 campaign. It is just weeks into the final game of the season and cartons are as well full of questions about referee decisions. 

In recent history, 2016 to be precise, Elijah Phimbi of Nyasa Times reported that Mafco FC had agreed to pay a fine of K700,000 orchestrated by poor  referee’s decision on the pitch. Alfred Aziz’s decision led the Mzuzu Military team to walk out of the pitch in the 75th minute attracting this penalty as verdict. 

“We accept the fine and we will pay just for the interest of football. Referees are the major problem leading to clubs being fined because of the way they are handling themselves. They are not professional and this is witnessed by the strange decision they make when officiating and at the end of it all, it is clubs that are suffering through paying fines after we react” Lt Col. Richard Chagonapansi of Mafco FC told Nyasa Times.        

REPERCUSSIONS OF THE PLAYER NO23’ MISTAKE.

Consequences of a referee’s decision cannot be overemphasized. Teams and individuals such as coaches have been fined huge sums worthy establishing investments. For instance, the Mafco fine was enough to run expenses of the team for a week or so. Equally, the Mourinho fines were enough to establish big business or help out needy people elsewhere. 

The various teams in the world have been denied opportunities to win what they deserved; revenues and trophies. Keep in mind that things in sports are done for current benefit and more importantly record purposes. For instance, the PSG case meant the team was unjustly denied opportunity to progress to another round; this meant revenues generated by teams through participation in a particular round were lost. Similarly it meant the team had registered some bad records in the UCL; be it against Barcelona, progression to another round or indeed being badly booted out with six goals in such reputable competition. In the case of Max Bullets in Malawi, the team disbanded inside the season and the consequences were enormous; some teams got free points as Max Bullets was nowhere on the pitch. The technical panel and players lost their jobs and consequently affecting their future.

Controversies and inconsistencies inside the game have always disrupted game plans, beauty of the game and awarding of unfair results in the end. Some individuals have been dented of their portrayal in public. For instance, many people started seeing Mourinho as a trouble maker. No wonder attitude of other referees were seen increasingly going against the Portuguese manager although in several occasions he was not as wrong as he got it. Even in Malawi, some teams have been portrayed as arrogant, violent or abusive just because they protested a referee decision.

These decisions have also incited violence in certain games. But overall my fear and disappointment is that whatever the case and/or situation maybe, correction of the ref’’ decision after a game has not been able to change results of a match. In other words, even if governing bodies reverse red and yellow cards, fines and other penalties but they cannot reverse defeat of a team. And the more common occurrence has been that the offending team wins the match. Presently the rare remedy of extreme cases has been a replay of the match which is even uncommon, costly but also takes long time.  
AMBIGUITY OF REFEREEING LAWS
 “The referees’ decisions on matters of facts are not subject to appeal. If he says it was or was not a foul or a goal, then it was or was not.” (Coach’s manual; soccer coach-L manual 1998; dealing with officials).

And even if there is an error of law, in many leagues and tournaments appeals are not permitted for the practical reason that there is no way to replay games. This gives extreme room for mistakes and deliberate actions by the center men. We have had crystal clear situations where a goal has been awarded where it did not mean, or not awarded when it was a goal. We even have had rumours that some referees are bribed to influence results of a game by among others; awarding a penalty, ruling out a goal, dismissing a player and other tricks just to give the other team an advantage.
The same coach manual says that a complaint or appeal can be made after the game about referees who appeared to have been in over their head at your teams’ level. However it points out that the referee is final judge of facts, and nobody can win arguments about factual interpretations.

This leaves a lot to be desired as regards to what is meant by factual interpretation. At best, it provides a tight corner for people not to question a lot on decisions by the referees; and otherwise creates a mere escape-goat in cases involving poor refereeing.

SOLUTIONS  
Poor refereeing, incompetence, human mistake and influenced refereeing (where the ref has been bribed) are a dangerous disease in need of serious attention. Experts around the world have tried to provide solutions to some of these problems. For instance, goal line technology and an ongoing trial of Video Assistant Refereeing (VAR) have been tested and gradually getting the node. 

THE GOAL-LINE TECHOLOGY
Goal-line technology is a technical means of instantly determining whether the whole of the ball has crossed the goal line. The International Football Association Board requires that goal-line technology does not interfere with the game, and as such only the match officials receive a signal on their watches to indicate whether the whole ball has crossed the goal line. The information is transmitted within one second, which ensures an immediate response from the referee and that there are no stoppages or other forms of interference in the game. The match officials are the only ones to receive a signal. Unless the competition organizers decides to show a replay, this information is only available to the match officials (according to fifa.com). The goal-line technology has now been used in a number of FIFA tournaments. However FIFA warns that implications and impacts of such systems can be complex hence the need to importantly think carefully before initiating a tender process.  

THE VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREE (VAR)
Innovations are changing the everyday life. New ideas are the driving force of the football industry for improving comfort, safety and performance aspects for the players and referees on the pitch. After years of calls for Video technology to be implemented into football to help referees, the world appreciated the major rollout at the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.   

VAR is actually a team of three people who work together to review certain decisions made by the main referee by watching video replays of the relevant incidents. The team is comprised of the video assistant referee himself (who is a current or former referee), an assistant and a replay operator. They are situated in a video operation room which is essentially a bank of monitors offering different camera angles. The technology seeks to review the four decisions which are decisive to the determination of match results: goals (and violations in the build-up to them), penalties, red cards and mistaken identity in awarding a card. For a decision to be overturned, it must be a “clear error”.
The process of reviewing a decision works in two ways; either the referee request a review after making a decision or the VAR team recommend one. The referee has three options in the process. They immediately overturn the call based on the VARs advice, review the incident themselves on the monitor on the touchline or stick to their initial decision. 

Although VAR is not currently written into the laws of the game, but is being tested in a number of leagues and tournaments around the world by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) which is responsible for those laws.

Meanwhile, FIFA has got a closer look at the system at a number of its international tournaments such as Under-20 World Cup and Confederations Cup. And more importantly FIFA president Gianni Infantino is happy with it and confident enough that VAR will prove a positive addition to the next World Cup tournament despite some criticism against the technology.  
   
MY VERDICT: SCARP OFF SOME POWERS FROM REFS!
VAR seems a much better intervention than Goal-line technology as the former tackles multiple issues in the game than the goal issue only. 

Although Oli Platt of Goal.com reported that referees, players, coaches, administrators and fans have mixed reactions about performance of VAR but FIFA and its president Infantino insist the system- while imperfect-has been a success. Certain players and coaches have been less impressed with VAR at the Confederation Cup with common complaint of time taken to review decisions and the way that causes confusion and brings halt to the play. Another challenge was that not every contentious decision would be selected for review. 

Platt observed that there is a simple fact that while VAR should help referees to make correct decisions, it does not guarantee them; calls are still made according to the officials’ judgment. This was also concurred with former premier league referee Mark Hasley who took it to twitter.
“What on earth is going on with VAR? It’s a shambles. There are protocols in place but officials are not adhering to it.” Wrote Hasley.

“VAR will only work with factual decisions, not subjective ones.” Pundit and ex-player Danny Higginbotham said. “Blatant red card but when based on a ref’s opinion, VAR pointless.”
As such in addressing the refereeing issues, do not overlook the need for legal review. Ideally to reduce the powers of making the final decision to a certain degree that allows intervention within the match. While VAR is in place, but still whatever the referee considers factual will stand as final.
Who proposed the idea that the referees’ decisions should be final? Did they holistically consider factors that affect a referee’ decision in a game?  I believe the committee meeting of that time ignored these facts: Referees are sports fans with a favorite supporting team. And too these are people who are capable of being swayed with money or any other gifts or kind. Most importantly the referees are infallible to human errors in making decisions.  Anyway that was out of their brilliance. But for now, following what has been experienced so far, I for one think it is high time some powers have to be revoked and be deposed elsewhere for scrutiny, appeal and repeal. 

INTRODUCE MANUAL ASSISTANT REFEREE (MAR) IN MALAWI
Basically this writing aims at addressing two issues. Firstly, the irregularities identified in the VAR which to the farthest centers on superiority of who holds responsibility of the final decision on the pitch. This anomaly is technically tricky on grounds that the referee still holds the final and legally undisputable decision even if it means nullifying VAR decision, but also that the ref has little time to make up that kind of decision. This means the human and deliberate mistakes will still appear on the scene consistently despite the VAR intervention.  

“From the book; FIFA Laws of the Game 2011-2012 (rule number 5), the referee can change the decision only if play has not restarted. Once play restarts, the goal will stand. “The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with a play including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final. 

The referee may only change a decision on realizing that it is incorrect or at his discretion on the advice of an assistant referee or the fourth official. Provided that he has not restarted play or terminated the match.”

There is a room to utilize the refereeing decision framework before the play has been restarted. This will probably upholds the status quo of situations where appeals after play restarts rarely changes result of the game hence the need for scrutiny of ref powers and institution of MAR in poor countries like Malawi.

Meanwhile, looking at status and demands of the VAR and the countries in which the technology has ever been tested, Malawi cannot either sniff of it anytime soon. Malawi is poor and cannot afford that kind of technology in the vicinity period. But more painful and surprising, the referees mistakes are so grave and keep on spoiling the game almost weekly in Malawi. 

APPROACH
The approach is that check with the FIFA refereeing legal frameworks to truck possibilities that can be available to review some of the archaic laws such as the one cited above. If the undergoing allows the regional bodies to use or amend the laws to accommodate local conditions, then convene consultations on how best to reduce powers of central referee especially in making the final decision. There are so many intelligent people around the world knowledgeable with sports and refereeing issues. If that has happen, then fine and good, wait patiently as I click the page down.
 Establish a team of three well-trained officials (which I have named Manual Assistant Refereeing; MAR) to be presiding over ‘real serious pitch controversies only’. I mean serious contentions only just because on the pitch sideways there are also assistant referees who help the central referee with certain decisions. However, watching the game from afar with purposes of assessment and trucking is very much effective than pitch assistants. 
 
Advertise the post to interested but preferably the former footballers or referees so that there is shortened timeframe of training as the shortlisted will already have experience and knowledge of the game. Train the successful individuals on analysis of the main serious offenses or issues that attract controversies in the game.  The training will probably add expertise to making decisions but also appreciating dynamics in the game time and again.

Allocate some two minutes or so for discussion with the MAR panel and opinion of the 2/3 participants to win the final decision about the scene similar to the way Supreme Court judges deliver sentence. The stopped time can be added on at the end of 45’ or 90’ the way it is done with stoppages of players’ injury. 

OPPORTUNITIES
Manual Assistant Referee has enormous benefits. Firstly, it will improve quality of the game as the MAR panel will be able to detect incidents missed by the officials on the pitch. Very many times people who watch games on Television think referees are idiots when they miss to detect an incident on the pitch. 

But what these people forget is that the ref has only one opportunity to see a scene and make a ruling. On contrary, the spectators have a third eye on the incident (the camera) which shows the incident from various angles with replays as well. As such the incident; be a tackle, hand ball, penalty call or a goal is clearly shown. Therefore MAR will be acting like manual cameras of the game.
Secondly, MAR system will provide job opportunity for the retired footballers and referees who are just languishing in the homes. In Europe, when footballers retire they have opportunity to become analysts and pundits while the lucky ones join the coaching.

Unfortunately even in Europe, the coaching cannot absorb many people as is the case in Malawi. As such former footballers expose the experience they acquired in football during their career days to rusting due to lack of opportunities to transfer them. MAR will benefit from these icons while awarding them the part time opportunity to make money. For instance, allocate k15, 000 per each MAR official, from the gate collections. This will save hundreds of thousands kwacha in return from damages or fines that originate from refereeing mistake. 

Well, am afraid I have to end it here for now… nevertheless the issue has not been fully exhausted. This is just groundbreaking. More new ideas on how best to improve it are very much welcome!



 Happy festive season and prosperous New Year ahead.





Thursday, 29 December 2016

2016 THE YEAR OF MALAWI QUEENS AND SAENDA BUT…





QUEENS VICTORY EARNS SAENDA THE INNOVATOR OF INNOVATORS AWARD! BUT..


Malawi netball queens; pic; Malawi Nation

The Malawi sports basket seems to have planned a hot ending of the year. Really a hot ending but I like it anyway. For the first time in the history of this blog but also after a prolong promise, the time has turned in favor of netball issues on the menu.  The author will not be surprised if he receives encouragement calls from the Ministry of Gender for striving to instill gender balanced articles. But as usual there are some few issues to announce.

The author wants to relay a heartfelt condolence to Civo Service United for its relegation in the most celebrated Tnm Super League.  Like other soccer fans and commentators who have spoken before, it is a bad unforgettable record that Civo has registered in the Malawi football history. Once mighty, the Civo United has all resources required in best operation of a football club than many clubs that have survived the chop. It is among few clubs with their own stadium, it has a beautiful bus, and it has a never-dry tap of money from the central government and what else… I mean I don’t know. Perhaps it only confirms that nearing a lake is not a guarantee of swimming skills’.   

I have temporarily suspended talks on the Tnm tightened competition until the evening of 31st December 2016 when all the games will have been played.  All I can say at the moment is that The Nyasa Big Bullets are the defending champions of TNM super league. 

EXCITEMENT

Cheering and jeering was heard in Malawi’s dense populated habitants of Chilinde, Kawale, Chisapo, Area 25, 36, to mention a few, on the afternoon of Sunday 30th October 2016 on hearing news that  the Malawi netball team, The Queens have won against Great Britain netball team to finish third at the Fast Five series in Australia.

The full blast excitement refused to die up to Thursday, four days after the victory. For instance, the author’s visitation to Capitol Hill; the Government of Malawi’s headquarters on Monday for a separate business discovered that the Queens performance was the top headline in the workers discussions. Civil servants up there had faces carrying a message of victory.  Some of these public workers stringed the victory to various sources with somebody shouting on top of his voice that the triumph is courtesy of  the wise and dynamic leadership of Malawi president Professor Peter Mutharika. No comment!

Two women at the stairs of a magnificent Ministerial building screamed “The Queens win is a gift to us women for the 2016 Mother’s day Celebrations which also falls in October”. Well, every person might have their own judgment on the victory but the point is that many people were excited. And as usual people have appetite to associate themselves with a winning side. 

The media, too, were not spared from this victory jubilation. News Bulletins and Sport Magazine programmes were in high mood for the Malawi National Netball stars. Voices of Malawians could be heard in phone-in programmes outpouring their joyous celebrations for the Queens. Equally statuses and profiles on the Social media were just balloons of the day; setting up one after another in hours. Some of the statuses read “Our queens our pride”. Another read in part; “Queens of Malawi and beyond, queens of our hearts”.  A comment on social feed by Tikondane grace Nasungwi “queens putting Malawi on the mountain top”. All these truly reflect the reward of the grand fight the Mutharika daughters had put up to reach their arm for the Bronze glory.

WHAT HAPPENED

The Malawi national netball team stood on her strong feet to beat mother protectorate the Great Britain on Sunday 30th October to finish third at 2016 Fast Five Netball series in Australia. The victory meant the Queens are the first African team to finish within a medal category in the netball fast five series, second African team to have pocketed home a prize at an international competition following South Africa Proteas’ silver in 1995 and bronze in 1967 during INF world netball tournaments.

Malawi Queens must be the most cerebrated having showcased a powerful desire to play at the games. It narrowly lost to title favorites; Australia which had been superb throughout until it gave it easily to New Zealand in the grand finals.

  “Crowd favorites Malawi pulled off their best finish in seven years of the short-form tournament, edging past England 35-32 in the play off for bronze” The New Zealand Helard reported.

Australians, who were hosting the tournament for the first time, looked the goods to break their title drought in Fast5 format having come through the round robin unbeaten. Their impressive run through the first round included a 32-29 win over the Ferns on day one. But with nine of their ten strong squad playing Fast5 for the first time, the New Zealand side built their way in the grand finals. The same New Zealand Helard wrote.

SURPRISES AT THE TOURNEY: FIGHTING SPIRIT

The Malawi Queens was the second team at the tournament to have revenged on the final day by beating the team it had lost to in the opening match. They followed New Zealand which retaliated by defeating Australia after a painful loss against the host on the opening day.

On the lightening and thundering fight put up by the Malawi ladies, Malawi Sports Council General Secretary George Jana had this to say back home; “what matters is preparations and focus, the will to win is assumed by hunger and will for success. Money is not the only motivation to success but also the spirit of patriotism” 

FROM ZERO TO HERO

The year 2016 has proved to be the twelve months in which rejected stones have anchored the holding corners of memorial structures. I call it the year of wonders. A man infamous in politics; Dornald Trump despite of his earlier bitter goofs, criticism and despise, went on to win the US elections. Even here in Africa a businessman has oust a long serving president in Gambia during the recent elections.

In sports, the team of rejects Leicester City won the English premier league in style. But the most interesting thing is that the rejected Malawi Queens won bronze at the Fast Five Series. Two things accompanied the Malawi ladies to qualify for the ‘rejected’ category.  

It has to be reminded among Malawians and be revealed to Non Malawians that the Malawi Queens went to Australia with a deficit on the budget. Despite making various requests for well-wishers to bail out the queens, only a few companies heard the voice on the window. The team only escaped embarrassment in the foreign country; thanks to tournament organizers who had met the logical requirements of hosting the queens. This gesture angered some analysts back home.   

During a 360 Sports Magazine on Times radio, Pilirani Kachinziri a sports journalist at the company had no kind words. “Very few well-wishers cared about the needs of the Queens on their way to Australia, therefore we do not want to see many people appearing to cerebrate with the queens after the victory” he said.

“I don’t want to see flowers from unknown people and companies at the Airport. They failed to help the ladies in time of need perhaps except only UNICAF, Illovo Sugar Limited, Airtel and some few companies” said Kachinziri with his angry voice.

The journalist then appealed to Malawians to develop character of helping Malawi teams during rain so that they celebrate together in sunshine.

It should also be remembered that the Malawi Queens went to the tournament with a temporally technical staff. The men at the top of it all are Griffin Saenda as Head and Sam Kanyenda as deputy.  This is the duo which was there before. The two helped the Malawi Queens to ride ladders to position five in the world and number one in Africa before surprisingly being dumped for reasons that only the Netball Association can justify.

Once again Kanchiziri had no mercy words at the Netball governing body. “These two coaches were just victimized due to mere grudges at NAM.  As a result the netball team had been suffering from lack of tactics without Saenda”. 

He strongly bemoaned the NAM for sidelining Saenda for what he called depriving the nation achievements due to individual interest.

Anyway, by the end of the year Griffin Saenda is the hero having pocketed the innovators award and then innovator of innovators award at the Presidential Palace on 16th December’ night during MBC innovators awards ceremony and will live in China for a Month.

The Malawi Queens went to Australia without a prior competitive international game following organizer’s deliberate omission of the queens from the teams list invited to participate in a netball diamond competition hosted by old rivals South Africa earlier in the year.

Surely, the South African side preempted that inviting Queens would pile themselves fatal results at the Fast Five tournament which was just around the corner. In the end the rejected Queens favored themselves with a grand fight in Australia to prove that the team is still the best in Africa and above.

CELEBRATIONS

Saenda recieves an award from president Mutharika; pic by Times 

The Ministry of Labour, Youth, Sports and Man power development announced that the Malawi Heroes were to be treated by their official sponsors, Airtel at Capital Hotel. Government officials also pledged to sneak out of office to welcome the Queens on arrival at KIA on that Tuesday.

On 12th December the queens were then hosted by the President Mutharika at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre for a luncheon. Perhaps what was quite touching at the pre-festive season treatment was the recognition of the Queens’ achievement by President Mutharika.

“Personally I am very excited and I feel greatly honoured and I would like to thank you for making Malawi proud. Your achievement has given us global visibility and we are proud of you’. ‘The Queens showcased an extraordinary achievement and it is a lesson to all Malawians to believe in themselves and be confident in whatever they do” Mutharika was quoted on Nyasatimes.

Perhaps the author might not bother to mention the material items that these achievers have been receiving. But this gesture was followed by another amazing recognition of the Queens’ head coach Griffin Saenda at the Kamuzu palace in Lilongwe on 16th December.

WHAT NEXT?

Well, congratulations, medals, gifts and all the rest have been ushered to the Queens for the achievement. However there is a precious medal, award and a gift that people are failing to offer for the Malawi ladies; a hope for the brighter future.  People ought not to be overexcited with the October achievement alone. Instead the joy ought to originate from the discovery that given conducive environment the Malawi Queens have the potential to beat giants, win medals and go further than here.  

Malawians need to be reminded that the achievement of the netball team has just pilled more bitterness and tension on its arch rival South Africa. In the subsequent tournaments, the Queens should expect fierce competition. The Proteas which we are talking, needless to say, remember have better structures than our dilapidated. Even their Rand is just powerful that sometimes they are able to camp for months in Europe in preparation for tournaments.

Equally Britain and Jamaica will not sit down and smile watching the defeats in the videos. They will put up strategic plans for a retaliating fight in the subsequent editions to rob off the position from Malawi. 
       
Times Group Sports analyst Peter Kanjere agrees with this. During the same Times sports 360 he advised the team to focus on the future plans to maintain the pace in order to improve in the INF world Cup. 

“The result must have instilled confidence in the players of rising above the giants BUT they should not be taken away. Instead devise how to approach the future” said Kanjere.

Kanjere expressed the need for the development of Netball Youth structures by allocating enough resources to netball which is giving dividends than activities that do not return anything. He also called on NAM to produce strategic plan in order to improve netball courts and infrastructure in the country.

NAM president Rossy Chinunda admitted during the Sanjika luncheon that despite the queen’s good performance, netball is facing a number of challenges especially limited funding and lacks proper facilities. 

“Our court is rough as it is made of concrete that we cannot host big events. Furthermore, under-21 teams are in Angola playing but due to funding issues, our under 21netball team has failed to participate” Nyasa Times wrote. 

The above remarks means the Malawi Queens are rising by a thread because youth structures and good facilities are the integral benchmark of sports development. Failure to prepare the youth for their graduation into the senior squad when the current members call it quit, means the queens foundations are laid on Senga-Bay sand.  

LESSONS FROM CHINA?

It is reported that the Queens’ Saenda has been offered a month long-all paid for educative tour to China. Perhaps the most important gift he can bring home than usual chocolates is the knowledge of how the Chinese Government is heavily investing in sports, football in particular, with vision to become a great football nation by 2050.  

BBC reported that the Government wants China to be a ‘World football superpower’ by 2050 and aims to develop a national team capable of winning the world cup despite its 83rd current rank.

‘President Xi’s 10-year plan – running from 2015 to 2025 is to create a Chinese sports economy worthy $850bn. Optimistic estimates value the entire global  sports economy at about $400bn.  He wants to build 20, 000 football schools by 2017, producing 100, 000 players, and increase schools to 50, 000 by 2025. President Xi wants China to host and win the world cup in the next 15 years” the report said.

Going by the words in bold and italics, one would understand how long visionary the Chinese Government seems to be. It is not however going to be the work of government only.  A strong domestic league would help, in part, to realize these targets, so China has encouraged big business to essentially bankroll the domestic clubs.  BBC’ Saj Chowdhury reported.

If the readers look critically at the bold words in this last section, one would literally come to discover how serious the Chinese people are in a quest to celebrate for trophies in the near future. And they will be able to maintain the superpower for a while following the instituted structures capable of feeding in into the national squad all the time.

It is high time the government of Malawi, the netball clubs, Companies and all loving Malawians come together to structure long term measures to keep the Queens on the map.  This victory in 2016 can be fast forgotten like morning dew if no structures and strategies are developed to maintain and keep improving the team.

Much attention has for so long been awarded to Men’s football yet they only return disappointments. Specializing in netball cannot be a sin. Ethiopia and Kenya pride to shine in athletics worldwide and they so pour their resources to such discipline.

But in case developing strategies seems to be a difficult job then just establish a standalone Ministry of Netball to be led by Griffin Saenda. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha leave my ‘Zagaro’ alone he is already busy training his tongue how to pronounce “Xing, ji, Xhi, in preparation for his month long China stay.

Happy and prosperous new year to you all !!