The Blue Eagles Sisters have been crowned champions of the One Nico Central Region Top 12 Cup playoffs, defeating city rivals Civonets in a nail-biting 45-44 victory on Sunday afternoon at the Area 30 netball courts.
In a dramatic turnaround, the Eagles Sisters staged a magnificent last-quarter performance to overcome a four-basket deficit.
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Civonets’ late-quarter profligacy allowed the Eagles to close the gap and snatch a one-basket advantage, securing the coveted title and the accompanying MK1 Million prize money from One Nico. Civonets, despite their valiant effort, took home MK700,000 for their second-place finish.
Both finalists had already secured their spots in the National phase of the competition by winning their respective semifinals. The Blue Eagles Sisters defeated their sister team, Young Eagles, 50-41, while Civonets triumphed over MDF Lioness with a narrow 55-50 victory in a thrilling contest.
Young Eagles Secure National Spot, Vanessa Sisters Finish Fifth
In the third-place playoff, Young Eagles defeated MDF Lioness, securing their qualification for the National Championship and pocketing MK500,000. The National Championship, set to be played in the Capital City, will feature three representatives each from the Southern, East, Northern, and Central Regions
Meanwhile, Vanessa Sisters clinched a fifth-place finish in the playoffs, beating Boma Stars 51-39 in their playoff match. Despite receiving MK300,000, Vanessa Sisters did not qualify for the national phase.
Chisomo Tibo, coach for Vanessa Sisters, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance and the valuable experience gained. “Our players performed well, and this tournament has given us an opportunity to assess them. We now have a team ready to compete in the league because we’ve faced the same teams we’ll meet there,” Tibo stated.
Sponsorship Hailed for Boosting Malawian Netball
The tournament drew praise from netball officials and government representatives alike. Netball Association of Malawi President, Vitumbiko Gubuduza, commended One Nico for their sponsorship, emphasizing its crucial role in the association’s “Tilindiplan” project aimed at unearthing new talent.
“I urge teams to participate in this tournament and they should also come with their supporters for the sponsors to see the value of their money. We believe that this sponsorship will uplift the standards of netball in Malawi,” Gubuduza said.
James Ndalama, Director of Sports in the Ministry of Youths and Sports, reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting One Nico’s vision for netball development in Malawi. “We thank One Nico for the sponsorship. This sponsorship will help in talent identification, bringing competition in netball and also making our National team stronger. We need to invest in these young players so that we have a strong team,” he stated.
One Nico is set to hold the final playoffs of the tournament in the Northern region to identify the remaining three teams that will complete the 12-team lineup for the National phase. The company has already successfully conducted similar playoffs in the Southern and Eastern Regions.
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