Revival of Women's Team Brings Hope in Salima
DM Twinkles FC was established in 2014 to provide female footballers in Salima district with opportunities to participate in competitive football year-round and help develop the sport in the country.
SALIMA, Malawi— The revival of the DM Twinkles Women's Football Team in Salima district is bringing new hope for the growth of women's soccer in the region, writes Alinafe Nyanda.
After being dormant since March 2019 due to constraints, the team has been rejuvenated and is gearing up to make its debut at the World Vision International-Salima-Yambe Zone Women's Football Competition this year, team manageress Agness Kuntambila said Friday.
"We are back with a bang," Kuntambila said.
"But that doesn't mean that we will go there just to participate. We are back in central region women's football to compete, starting with Saturday's game against Orlando Ladies FC."
The team's comeback aligns with DM Twinkles FC's mission to empower girls by providing equal opportunities, she said.
On Saturday, the team will play Orlando Ladies FC at Orlando ground in Kalonga in a warmup match ahead of the tournament. Plans are also underway to establish an academy, Kuntambila revealed.
"I am just so proud of the team's ability to find a way, find a way while trying to play our style of play and evolve our style of play, and I just love the sense of pride that we have in the team," she said.
Sports analyst Willy Chabwinja said the revival of DM Twinkles will inspire confidence in the growth of women's football in the central region amid a lack of sponsorship that has hampered many players' careers.
"The coming back of DM Twinkles will inspire confidence in how much we want to grow in as far as women's football is concerned in the central region," Chabwinja said.
He urged the team to tap into the region's untapped talent pool and inspire future generations of young girls to pursue their dreams and break barriers in achieving equality.
DM Twinkles FC was established in 2014 to provide female footballers in Salima district with opportunities to participate in competitive football year-round and help develop the sport in the country.