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Fungai Muderere
TWENTY six mena��s teams and six womena��s outfits are on Saturday set to take part in this yeara��s edition of Ingwebu Breweries-bankrolled Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Tug (ZITF) of War National Championships.
The first round stage of the event will take place at Gifford High School on Saturday morning before the competition moves to the ZITF Main Arena in the afternoon from the quarter-final stage.
The sponsors of the event announced last Friday that owing to the prevailing economic hardships in the country, the prize money of the annual event had been reduced.
Sindani Khumalo, the Ingwebu marketing, research and development manager said winners would walk away with $500 for both men and women, runners-up $300 while $200 is the reward in store for teams in third place.
a�?We have had to re-model our prize structure. The prizes are still there but not as much as you would have wanted or expected them to be. Traditionally, I know that semi-finalists have been getting something, this year we will just be giving prizes to the first, second and the third-placed teams for both male and the females,a��a�� Khumalo said.
Last year, Zesa Bulawayo, the mena��s champions took home $1 500, 12 gold medals and 10 T-shirts, runners-up Exide pocketed $1 000 accompanied by 12 silver medals and a 10 T-shirts. FBC, who finished third, got a reward of $700, 12 bronze medals while $200 went the way of Delta Beverages for being the fourth best team.
In what was a remarkable achievement for Zesa Bulawayo, their womena��s team also took first position at the same competition to take home $800 which came with 12 gold medals and 10 T-shirts, BCC got $600, 12 silver medals and 10 T-shirts for being the losing finalists. Third-placed Ingwebu pocketed $400 with $200 given to Zesa Harare who were fourth.
ZITF marketing and public relations manager Stella Nkomo said they always looked forward to the tug-of-war with pride. Nkomo described the competition as ZITFa��s signature event.
derick.khumalo