Last year the region’s female player, Mirriam Chinyamakobvu, scooped the ultimate prize at the national finals held at Raylton Recreation club in Bulawayo but Hove was confident this year would produce more winners for them.
“We have been holding several tournaments since the beginning of the year. In fact evry month we have have been having a tournament in a bid to psych up our players and prepare them for the Black Label grand finale. We are now therefore confident all those we will select to represent us will be match fit and able to shrug off any challenge at the competition,” said Hove.
The central region has 24 teams that make up the premier league and a similar number of sides that are drawn to form Division one.
“Three top teams from the premier league were involved in the champions of champions event held in Bulawayo recently and the performance from our players was just superb. That also makes us go into the Black Label tournament with our heads high,” said the chairman.
Carling Black Label, a brand first introduced in the country by beverages conglomerate Delta in 1966, is deemed the biggest sponsor of the National Pool tournament.
The contest is finally taken to the national level, but begins at the grassroots where players first battle out for tickets to take part at the supreme pool scene at provincial competitions. Regional leagues to date have no sound sponsorship and accordingly, this tournament gives players an opportunity to make rich pickings while also obtaining the bragging rights at national level.
At present there is a shadowy national executive for pool an occurrence that has made it difficult for excelling players to go beyond the borders and participate in continental and international competitions.
Hove said it is crucial for stakeholders to call for a national indaba to come up with a substantive national executive for pool that can represent regions and lobby Government and other sponsors to unveil funds that can help the sport move forward.
Post published in: Sport