adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
THE Harare Volleyball Association will today hold an Open tournament at the University of Zimbabwe as their season comes to an end.
The tournament will see more than 14 men and women’s teams competing with the finals scheduled for tomorrow.
The clubs to compete include the five that qualified for the Zone Six Club Championships starting on December 14 to 22 in Mbabane, Swaziland – Support Unit, Stanbic Thunder and Black Rhinos – who will represent the nation in the men’s section.
In the women’s category there is Support Unit, ZRP Raiders and University of Zimbabwe.
HVA chairperson, Shadreck Chisoko, said the event is their shutdown tournament.
“As of yesterday we had six men’s teams and we expect them to get up to 10 and six women’s teams which can rise to eight.
“It’s basically our annual shutdown. The main purpose is to give maximum game time to the Zone Six teams.
“Stanbic Thunder are the defending champions they won the Harare league and Support Unit comes just after them and Black Rhinos will definitely be there as well as UZ.
“Some of the clubs are coming from Midlands, they are Tigers and Big Six from Masvingo and there are other clubs from Harare.
“Our teams going for the Zone Six need to get adequate preparations before they travel,” said Chisoko. Chisoko said most of the clubs that qualified for the Zone Six are from Harare.
“There are three representatives for men – Stanbic Thunder, Support Unit and Black Rhinos, then there is Varsity, Raiders and Support Unit for women.
“Of the six that have qualified five of them are from Harare which is indicative of the standard. We are now dominating all provinces. There was a time when we were struggling but now we are back,” said Chisoko. Zimbabwe’s clubs have been competing in the Zone Six Championships for quiet sometime now.
“Volleyball has been suffering from lack of sponsorship. If we get sponsorship it becomes easier for our teams to prepare for the Zone Six. Most of the teams get to the quarter-finals and the semi-finals.
“I think with more resources we should be able to do better that what we are doing,” said Chisoko.
Online Reporter