Former Malawi National Netball Team goal shooter, Mary Waya, has been announced as the new Namibia National Netball Team coach ahead of World Cup qualifiers.
Waya, who was among five internationals that were named ambassadors following the rebranding of World Netball from the International Netball Federation (INF), will be assisted by the former Zimbabwe Netball National Team coach Lloyd Makunde who led Zimbabwe to their maiden World Cup appearance back in 2019.
Antoinne Wentworth, a local coach in Namibia, has been named as the assistant for the two internationals.
Waya started playing international-level netball at age 14 and played in more than 200 representative matches for Malawi.
During that time, she competed in two World Netball Championships (1995 and 2007), three Commonwealth Games (1998, 2006 and 2010), and two World Netball Series (2009 and 2010).
Waya came to international prominence during the 2007 World Championships in New Zealand, where the Malawi national team finished 5th, their highest ever placing.
She remains the national team’s most high-profile player and was chosen as the flag bearer for the Malawi team at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
In 2012, the Malawi star then went on to coach the Tanzania National Netball team.
She is founder of Mary Waya Foundation, a non-profit sports academy in Blantyre that aims to empower local African women through sport.
After undergoing a tough time in Malawi during the Tri-National series in Blantyre last month, the Desert Jewels of Namibia have upped their preparations as they are eyeing World Cup Qualification.
Namibia Netball National Team have already named a 21-member provisional battalion which already started training this week.
Congratulations Mary Wiya. Am personally very excited with your foreign mission. All the best