Towera Vinkhumbo

Malawian defender who represented her country at three Commonwealth Games and three World Cups, and also played international football.

Towera Vinkhumbo was born on 14 February 1991 in Blantyre, the ninth of eleven children in a sport-loving family; her late brother Aubrey played football for Mighty Wanderers and her sister Salome captained Malawi's women's football team. A rare dual international, Vinkhumbo represented Malawi in football from age 14 while also progressing through the netball ranks, eventually representing both codes at senior level simultaneously. On the netball court, Vinkhumbo represented Malawi at three Commonwealth Games (2010, 2014, 2018) and three Netball World Cups (2011, 2015, 2019), and was part of the historic Malawi Queens side that beat second-ranked New Zealand 57-53 at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She also helped Malawi to third place at the 2016 Fast5 Netball World Series in Australia, and represented the country at the 2019 World Cup in Liverpool the same month she played for Malawi's women's football team at the COSAFA Championship. Vinkhumbo has played her domestic netball for Escom Sisters/Kukoma Diamonds in Malawi before moving to England's Netball Superleague, first with Severn Stars and then Strathclyde Sirens in Glasgow from 2021, where she also earned a coaching qualification through the Netball Players Association. She was named captain of the Malawi Queens and has continued combining playing with coaching duties, including an appointment as Malawi's Under-19 head coach.

Versatile, determined defender capable of playing goal defence, goal keeper and wing defence, with a defensive mindset she credits to her football background

A trailblazing figure in Malawian sport for competing at the top level in two codes simultaneously, and a mentor to the next generation as a qualified coach

• Member of Malawi's 3rd-place 2016 Fast5 World Series team
• part of Malawi's 2018 CWG upset win over New Zealand