All set for tug of war competitions

Michael Magoronga, [email protected]
It’s all systems for the Tug of War competitions to take place in Gweru this weekend.
About 30 teams, both male and female, are expected to converge in Gweru for the competitions which will be part of the Midlands Show slated to run from 22 to 25 August.
The show which was originally scheduled to take place from 15 to 18 August, has been rescheduled to allow the smooth flow of the SADC summit to be hosted by Zimbabwe this Saturday.
The Tug of War games, which have become part of the show, will be held on 24 August at Stanley Primary School before being taken to the Main Arena for semi-finals and finals.
Event organizer Mr Charles Muyambi, who is also Midlands Tug of War Association chairperson said all has been set for the competitions that will see teams battling in the 720kg men, 560kg women and 600kg mix (4 men plus 4 women) categories.
“This is a national event and we are expecting 15 male teams and 15 female teams from across the country. Among the teams that we are expecting are Glow Petroleum who are the reigning African Champions in the 560 women category and Transmission West Men’s team who are the African Silver Medalist in the Male 640kg category,” said Mr Muyambi.
Mutare Board and Paper Mills who are the male Gold Medalist at the 2024 ZITF games are also expected to be part of the competitions.
He said sponsorship remains a challenge for the games.
“Whilst sponsorship is still a big challenge we will derive our Prizes from the registration fees of the teams that will attend. We are inviting banks, uniformed forces, private companies, church, local authorities, government departments, colleges, universities, parastatals and even individuals to accept our invitation and attend these games. Apart from being a fun sport, Tug of War helps in health rehabilitation because of the effectiveness of its physical training,” said Mr Muyambi.