Africa-Press – Malawi. Nico Group has called for a holistic approach and increased investment in structured high‐performance programmes to rebuild domestic netball and continue revamping the Malawi National Netball Team.
In a statement released Monday, Nico has also pledged to support the Queens ahead of this year’s Commonwealth Games.
The group, which sponsors the Queens and One Nico Top 12 Cup, released a statement after completing the first circle of their sponsorship.
Nico Group Head of Corporate Affairs Mbumba Mlia-Ndasauka said consistent exposure to local and high‐level international competition and long‐term athlete development pathways were some of the initiatives that would help rebuild the sport and the Queens.
“As such, we will continue working with Nam to identify and train new talent to ensure the team’s continuity.
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MLIANDASAUKA— We identified new talent“As the Malawi Queens are set to participate in this year’s Commonwealth Games in July, we will ensure they receive adequate preparation training,” Mlia-Ndasauka said.
She said the first year of sponsorship was both insightful and inspiring, reinforcing Nico’s belief in sport’s power to unite, empower and elevate national pride.
“Our partnership with the Queens, through Nam, has been a rewarding, professionally managed collaboration. From inception, Nam demonstrated strong leadership, transparency and a shared commitment to advancing [the cause of] netball in Malawi. This alignment enabled Nico Group to integrate seamlessly into the team’s journey, not merely as a sponsor but as a genuine partner invested in the Queens’ growth and success.
“Together, we were able to implement all agreed components to uplift netball. Our focus has been to rebuild the sport and we have started this journey well. We have been able to get our Queens playing in local and international games, we launched the One Nico Top 12 Netball Cup and conducted a nationwide talent scouting exercise,” she said.
She added that the first year allowed Nico to assess the potential of the sport to become a source of national pride.
“Together with Nam, we identified new talent and skills that will continue to enhance the team’s performance,” she said.
Mlia-Ndasauka singled out the launch of the One Nico Top 12 Netball Cup as one of the big things in 2025.
“This tournament promotes local club games and continuous player participation. It also allowed Nam to identify talent.
“The scouting exercise was another highlight of the sponsorship. Nam identified untapped talent from communities across Malawi. These young girls had only dreamed of becoming netballers but had never had a chance to compete at any level because of lack of sports facilities in their areas and their proximity to them. This is what the Nico Group is about – turning dreams into reality. We believe in making an impact on Malawians. We believe in leaving no one behind in the life journey,” she said.
Last year, the Queens finished fourth during the Africa Netball Cup, which the country hosted in December last year.
Nam General Secretary Yamikani Khungwa-Kauma said the association was grateful to Nico Group for the support.
“It will be another eventful year and we certainly need massive support to prepare thoroughly and compete effectively at the forthcoming games,” he said.
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