NICO says Top 12 Cup is nurturing netball talent

NICO Group says the ONE NICO Top 12 Netball Cup is helping identify talented players and giving them a chance to showcase their abilities.

NICO Group Head of Corporate Affairs Mbumba Mlia Ndasauka said this after Prison Queens retained their Eastern Region title with a 55-33 victory over Airforce Falcons in the final at Cobbe Barracks in Zomba on Sunday.

Ndasauka expressed satisfaction with the way the competition was conducted, saying it was providing a platform for players to display their talent.

Prison Queens reached the final after beating Genius 60-29 in the semi-finals, while Airforce Falcons booked their place with a 46-41 win over Prison Reserve.

Genius finished third after beating Prison Reserve 47-36.

The victory means Prison Queens have won the Eastern Region title for the second year running.

Prison Queens, Airforce Falcons and Genius will represent the region at the national finals, joining three teams each from the Southern, Central and Northern regions.

In individual awards, Genius shooter Loney Kanyoza was named Best Shooter, while Happiness Banda of Prison Reserve won the Best Mid-Court award.

Yasmin Alick received the Young Star award, while Airforce Falcons’ Agness Kuyenda was named Most Valuable Player and Best Defender.

Twelve teams competed in the Eastern Region play-offs held on October 24 and 25 at Cobbe Barracks Netball Court in Zomba.

NICO Group’s investment in netball includes a K1 billion, three-year sponsorship package announced in October 2024 in partnership with the Netball Association of Malawi (NAM). The 2024–2027 deal supports the Malawi national netball team, the Queens, and the ONE NICO Top 12 Netball Cup.

The competition aims to strengthen domestic netball by giving clubs more opportunities to compete and helping identify players who could progress to the national team.