RISK advisors Minerva Zimbabwe are looking to extend their relationship with the Zimbabwe Chess Federation (ZCF) following the successful hosting of a chess tournament under their name a couple of weeks back.
The Minerva Zimbabwe Open Chess Tournament was a major highlight despite coming at the tail end of the company’s year operations. Still, they poured in a lucrative purse that went direct to the winning players.
As the tournament’s platinum sponsor, Minerva has expressed satisfaction at the level of professionalism within ZCF and is looking forward to a long term relationship.
Minerva sponsored the tournament to the tune of US$10 000 at a time when most corporations do not have budgets for sport sponsorship due to the economic disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Emerald Mushore and Linda Shaba won the respective men and women’s sections of the Minerva Zimbabwe Open tournament.
Minerva is an insurance broker who works with all insurance companies and helps their clients get the best insurance options available.
Minerva’s association with chess started in October when they sponsored inmates at Chikurubi Maximum Prison when they took part in a world chess online tournament for inmates. Zimbabwe came second after narrowly losing to Mongolia.
Freida Chapfika, the group Marketing and Public Relations Manager of Minerva speaking to EnterSportNews, chronicled Minerva’s first association with chess and how it was the catalyst in sponsoring the Zimbabwe Open.
“Initially, we were not sponsoring such a big event (Zimbabwe Open). When I heard about how Zimbabwe prisoners were doing in a world online event, playing against fellow inmates from the USA, Europe, I was really impressed, and the event trended worldwide,” she said.
“After sponsoring the tournament for the prisoners, we then went and sat down with our Managing Director and said why can’t we also sponsor the Zimbabwe Open chess tournament?”
The turnout by the chess community during the Minerva Zimbabwe Open tournament really impressed Chapfika.
“I was overwhelmed during the tournament when I saw the attendance; I didn’t know we have such a big chess community,” added Chapfika.
“We would like to thank ZCF for considering us as a partner; we are very excited about the relationship going forward.”
Commenting on their sponsorship which is still being talked about by the winners, “As our chairman of Masawara Group says, ‘You either go big or home’, we decided to go big.”
Minerva is not only looking at sponsoring the Zimbabwe Open chess tournament but from the grassroots upwards.
“I was overwhelmed by the turnout. I thought there would be 20 to 30 people; there is clearly a huge chess community. We are in it for the long haul,” she said.
“I know that ZCF wants to get chessboards to the provinces, so that’s the first thing we are working on; we will stand guided by them (ZCF) on the areas that they need our assistance beyond the Minerva Zimbabwe Open Chess tournament.”
Zimbabwe winning silver in the world prisons chess tournament calls for more outstanding organisation within the prison system, which Minerva will also support.
“We also know that ZCF wants to go big for the prisons which is amazing for rehabilitation, just something for the inmates to do, and we will lend a helping hand,” Chapfika said.
The Minerva Zimbabwe Open chess tournament drew keen interest from the chairman of Masawara group, the holding company of Minerva, Shingi Mutasa. He is also the owner of Joina City, where the tournament was held.
Mutasa came into the tournament venue unannounced on the pretext of wanting to learn chess.
In typical Mutasa fashion, he wanted to test the systems that the ZCF had put in place and test their level of professionalism, which is seen by the way strangers are welcomed in a place.
The protocol and security staff did not recognise him but gave him a hearty welcome that they gave to everyone who came through to the tournament.
The businessman and philanthropist was impressed with the way he was welcomed, bearing in mind most of the protocol staff had no clue who he was until he spoke to ZCF president Collen Tonogowona.
In the conversation that ensued with Tongowona, he gave the local chess mother body a blank cheque.
He asked ZCF what they needed to conquer Africa and the world. He wants the proposal early next year.
Mutasa also promised to buy ZCF electronic chessboards for the federation.
