re it was cancelled.
Last year, the competition was not held and bodybuilders had resigned to going for two years without the event.
But ZNBBWA vice president Kays Rushika said his association was determined to see the event bouncing back with or without adequate sponsorship.
“We are going to host the Mr Iron Man contest on September 8.
“The venue for the show will be The Great Indaba Room at the Monomotapa,” said Rushika. He said they had lined up some sponsors for the event.
“I know that most of our previous sponsors are willing to help us and we will be concluding a few things soon.
“There are more potential sponsors out there who might come once we get things in place,” he said.
Health and All was the last major sponsor for the Mr Iron Man first prize before the competition sunk into murky waters last year.
“I know a lot of bodybuilders had been hoping to take part in the competition but it was not held on the planned dates.
“Last year we failed to get the financial support and then this guy from Gweru successfully bid to host the Iron Man this year only to inform us at the last minute that he had failed to raise money.
“This is why we have moved in to do something otherwise we will go for another two years without any action,” he said.
Rushika said even if they failed to get enough funding, the Mr Iron Man will still go ahead and serve as a warm-up to the Mr Zimbabwe in October.
THE Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters Association have blasted the hooligans who held CAPS United players and coaches hostage for about 30 minutes at Gwanzura on Sunday.
Violence broke out at Gwanzura with a group of CAPS United fans pelting their players and coaches with missiles after the Harare giants were held to a goalless draw by Mwana Africa in a CBZ Premiership tie.
The main target of the fans’ anger was CAPS United coach Moses Chunga.
The former Warriors captain had to be whisked away in a police truck to protect him from the rampaging mob of furious CAPS United hooligans.
That group of supporters believes Chunga — who arrived at the team last year — has failed to deliver the goods at CAPS United and should leave the club.
Police had to fire teargas to disperse the mob.
ZNSSA leader Eddie “Mboma” Nyatanga fired a broadside at the fans who turned violent on Sunday, describing them as a cancer that should be rooted out of domestic football.
“We strongly condemn the disturbances at Gwanzura because hooliganism has no place whatsoever in football in the new millennium.
“We understand that fans get emotional when their team is not winning but we don’t believe that the best way to air our grievances is to turn ourselves into animals and destroy property.
“There are a number of better ways for fans to express their disappointment but certainly throwing stones at the coach and the team and destroying passing vehicles is not the best way possible.
“We end up wondering whether those fans who were the ringleaders are genuine CAPS United supporters or hired assassins carrying the orders of certain individuals who have their own agenda at the club.
“For how do you claim to be a true CAPS United supporter when you spend more than 30 minutes throwing stones directed at the very players that you pretend to support?
“The events on Sunday were sad and we urge the football authorities to nip them in the bud otherwise the cancer will spread and we will have violence at all our stadiums once a team loses.”
Ironically, Nyatanga is a die-hard CAPS United fan.
“Our main concern is that with the 2010 World Cup finals coming to South Africa, the last thing that we need is to give the world an impression that our football is chaotic.
“We need to give an impression that we have order and we cannot allow just a few misguided individuals to spoil the party for everyone in this country.
“For the record, Dynamos has lost four times and we haven’t seen any violence there. Bosso have lost a number of times, too, but we haven’t seen any violence there.
“CAPS United have lost just twice and, if you believe in those hooligans, you would think they are bottom of the table.
“It’s a shame that we still have such misguided elements in our football and hopefully both Zifa and the PSL will come down very hard on these people.
“I think we have reached a stage where one or two people have to be used as an example by being banned from coming to watch football matches,” said Nyatanga.
The ZNSSA boss said the CAPS United leadership should come out strong on stamping out hooliganism.
“CAPS United is not a community team and has a clear leadership structure and the people who own the club should come out very strong with a position that is against hooliganism.
“Some times it is better to have no supporters at all than having hooligans who wait every week just for the team to lose so that they pursue their hidden agenda.
“Today it is CAPS United and if we don’t control this mess then tomorrow it will be Dynamos, Highlanders, Masvingo United and before we know it everything about our football would be chaotic.”
Post published in: Zimbabwe Sports News