HARARE City has won the league for the third consecutive year. They also won the Harare Pro Chess League, which was the first rated teams tournament in Zimbabwe.
Farai Hamandishe, the vice-captain of Harare City, lifted the trophy. The team also received gold medals for finishing in first place.
A group of players and officials recently assembled at the Harare Club, once their home playing ground. During the ceremony, they were honoured with prizes and awards. Among the distinguished guests were several Harare City players, such as Farai Hamandishe, Gibson Malije and Gilbert Shonhiwa
Dr Collen Tongowona and Costa Dongo, who manage the club, were among the officials present.
Chitown Masters came in second, while Waterfalls came in third, respectively. Panashe Katsande was named the best player in the league, and he recently won the Candidates and will be promoted to play in the Nationals, where the best in the land will battle it out to represent the country.
The league produced some fine moments and was a springboard for Katsande’s success, as he could use it for his preparation because of his active involvement in the game. Next year promises to be an exciting year as the league is going to have two sections.
There was pomp and fanfare as they celebrated their victories. Ndongo was pleased with the team’s success, stating that the coach let the available players do the job.
“There was no permanent team, and each player would be ready to play, which created more hunger for success. Teams used their full-strength squads as they played against Harare City, a team to beat,” Dongo said.
