THE steady rise of women in competitive pool has emerged as one of the biggest success stories of this year’s Carling Black Label National Pool Tournament, with a record number of female players earning places at next week’s national finals in Masvingo.
After regional qualifiers were held in 31 regions around Zimbabwe, 40 women booked their places alongside 40 men for the championship scheduled for July 11.
Leading the women’s challenge are Alice Chiota, Christine Sengwe, Sandra Khumalo, Faith Tamai and Lisa Marumbwa, while the men’s competition will feature Timothy Onida, Godknows Masona, Caleb Chipanga, Philimon Shumba and Prince Marikopo.
Tournament organisers say the continued increase in female participation reflects the success of efforts to make the sport more inclusive.
“We are proud of the progress we continue to see in the sport. The growth in participation and the elevated level of play reflect the passion and commitment from players across the country. We commend everyone who took part and contributed to making this tournament a success,” Delta Beverages Marketing Manager for the Lagers Business Unit, Kundayi Mawema said.
Besides providing competition for players, the tournament also brought business to local communities, with bars and traders benefiting from increased customer numbers during the regional qualifiers.
Organisers said the standard of play has continued to improve, with players displaying greater discipline, professionalism and skill throughout the competition.
The winners of both the men’s and women’s categories will each receive US$2,500 and a pool table, while the runners up will earn US$1,500. Third and fourth place finishers will receive US$1,000 and US$500 respectively.
Carling Black Label says it remains committed to developing pool in Zimbabwe through grassroots programmes and community tournaments that provide players with opportunities to compete at the highest level.
The Masvingo finals are expected to draw supporters from across the country as Zimbabwe’s best cueists compete for the national crown.
