Malawi is searching for taller netball players as the country looks to close a physical gap that has increasingly become difficult to ignore on the international stage.
The Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) wants to identify and develop young athletes with the height and physical attributes needed to compete against some of the world’s bigger and stronger teams.
The approach has emerged from the ONE NICO Talent Scouting Programme, which has taken talent identification beyond traditional netball centres and into districts across the country.
The programme initially identified 316 players during a nationwide scouting exercise in April 2025, giving hundreds of aspiring players an opportunity to be assessed for a possible pathway into elite netball.
From that initial pool, 100 players measuring 174cm and above were invited to the first national selection camp, with 91 attending and 56 progressing.
Players identified during the 2026 Malawi Schools Sports Association (MASSA) National Youth Games and others from the original scouting database were later added, resulting in the final group of 100 players.
The 100 hopefuls gathered in Lilongwe for the final national selection camp from August 19 to 26, where they underwent technical, tactical, physical and psychological assessments.
At the end of the eight-day process, only 40 players earned places in NAM’s High-Performance Development Programme.
Among the most striking discoveries is the emergence of exceptionally tall players who could provide Malawi with an important physical advantage in the future.
Triza Kholoza stands at 186cm, while Ruth Phiri is 185cm and Ivy Kachinjika 184cm, with several others measuring between 177cm and 181cm.
NAM says the focus on height does not mean shorter players are being pushed aside. Of the 40 selected players, 21 are estimated to be 177cm or taller, while the other 19 earned selection through qualities including technical ability, game intelligence, speed, athleticism, coachability and long-term development potential.
Technical Director Joseph Mazaza says the camp has offered the association a clearer picture of the talent available in the country and what is required to compete internationally.
“Beyond identifying the best performers today, our focus has been on identifying athletes with the physical attributes, technical foundation and long-term development potential required at the international level,” Mazaza said.
The association has also identified 19 promising players who could not attend the final camp but possess height profiles ranging from 177cm to 186cm.
Four are above 183cm and 11 measure at least 180cm, and NAM says they will remain under active monitoring and could be invited to future development camps.
For NICO Group, which is supporting the programme, the project is about more than finding netball players. Corporate Affairs Manager Ms. Mbumba says the partnership is creating opportunities for young women across Malawi, describing talent development as an investment in the country’s future.
The programme is also changing the geographical picture of Malawi’s netball talent, with promising athletes emerging from districts including Rumphi, Chitipa, Karonga, Blantyre, Chiradzulu, Mulanje and Salima.
