adminRicky Zililo, Sports Reporter
THIRTEEN players made it into the provisional Bulawayo Metropolitan Province squad that will compete at next month’s Heroes National Darts Championships. Bulawayo will host to the tournament that will run from 9-13 August at the Hillside Teachers’ College. The 13 players who were selected at the trials which were conducted at Bellevue Sports Club will now battle it out in the final stage with the province’s ranked players on Saturday.
Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Darts League championship favourites Archers and Highlanders contributed three players each to the squad.
Nkululeko Ncube, Brian Ndlovu and Simon James who have been instrumental in Archers’ campaign and Melusi Ndlovu, Sikhulile Sibanda and Hardson Mukutu of Highlanders have been shortlisted for the provincial squad.
Railstars had Mgcini Nkala and Sylvester Mudekwa making it past the first stage with Blazio Nyamuzinga representing Unit Fairbridge and Jonis Chiduwo of ZRP Bulawayo sailing through.
How Mine’s Stephen Banda, Kaunda Bhebhe of Old Nic Mine and New Dawn’s Linesman Muronzwi complete the players’ list.
Lethukuthula Nkomo, the Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Darts League chairman said they had a good turnout for the trials.
“The first stage of selecting a provincial squad is done and we are happy that players from the league responded well. We had more than 30 players coming for the trials and now the 13 guys who made it will join 16 ranked players. At the end, we want to come up with three teams of eight players each meaning that five players will be eliminated on Sunday,” said Nkomo.
The seeded players are those who participated in the April competition which was held in Esigodini.
Most seeded players are from Old Nic Mine who are third on the Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Darts League with 15 points from 17 matches, two behind log leaders Archers who have won all their matches.
Former national champions Ndumiso Tshuma, Moses Ndlovu, Godfrey Mazonde, Okay Sibanda, Maxmillion Taruvinga and ex-Archers player Jackson Ndimande are part of the 16 Bulawayo Metropolitan Province’s seeded players from Old Nic Mine. They are expected to lead their team tonight when they take on Zimbabwe School of Mines in a league match.
Also among the seeded players are Nkomo, Albert Tawanda from championship favourites Archers, Wisewaters’ Kerepatsi Mleya, Railstars’ quartet of Patrick Zimidzi, Boniface Maningi, Ndabezinhle Ngwenya and McLean Chirwa.
Online Reporter