adminMehluli Sibanda Senior Sports Reporter
MUTARE Board and Paper Mills are full of confidence that they will continue with their dominance at the Ingwebu Breweries-bankrolled Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Tug of War national competition to be staged on Saturday.
Save for being controversially disqualified in the semi-finals in 2012 for spending much time on the floor which is against the rules of tug of war, the Mutare-based team have their name engraved on the trophy almost every year of the competition for the past 10 years.
In an interview after the draw for this year’s competition whose final takes place on Saturday at the ZITF main arena in Bulawayo, Mutare Board and Paper Mills team manager Iyanai Ngorima expressed happiness with the draw which saw his team lead the pack in Pool A. They are one of four teams which were seeded for reaching the last four last year with the others being Ingwebu, Delta Beverages and GMB Bindura.
“We are happy with the draw. It was conducted well we are now waiting for the day when we hope to retain our trophy,’’ said Ngorima.
The famous Ngorima, who plays anchor in the team, said together with number four Tazia Rungwandi, they bring with them to Bulawayo 23 years of experience in tug of war.
Despite the closure of the Mutare-based newsprint making company four years ago, the tug of war team has been kept together. The team holds all national trophies which include the Harare Agricultural Show Cup, CBZ Cup, Gweru Agricultural Show Cup, Masvingo Agricultural Show Cup as well as the Mutare Agricultural Show Cup. Ngorima and his team were last in action in October 2013.
The draw conducted on Thursday in the presence of representatives from the sponsors Ingwebu Breweries, ZITF entertainment committee, Zimbabwe Tug of War Association in Bulawayo, saw 37 men’s teams being drawn. The women will also contest for the first time with nine teams competing.
Ingwebu Breweries general manager, brewery, Nkosana Ndlovu said in a speech read on his behalf by the company general manager, brewing, Fidelia Nyangadzayi that the total sponsorship this year stands at $30,000 of which $7,400 will go towards prize money.
Winners of the men’s category will walk away with $1,800 and runners-up $1,200. The two losing semi-finalists would be rewarded with $700 each while the teams which bow out at the quarter-final stage will each pocket $500.
For the women, the winners will take $400, the runners-up prize $300, the team in third place will get $200 while the team which is going to finish fourth have $100 waiting for them.
Online Reporter