Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere
THE Bulawayo Provincial Pool Association (BPPA) premier league has announced a two-week break in its programme to allow players to participate in the highly anticipated Carling Black Label (CBL) national pool tournament, highlighting the growing importance of the competition on Bulawayo’s sporting calendar.
In a notice circulated to all participating teams, league officials confirmed that the competition were suspended from Monday to July 3, with action set to resume on Saturday, July 4. The break is intended to ensure players can take part in the CBL tournaments without having to juggle league commitments.
The move has been welcomed by many within the sporting fraternity, as the CBL tournaments continue to establish themselves as major events that attract some of the city’s finest talent.
The decision has also influenced other sporting organisations, with the Bulawayo Central Business District Pool Association (CBDPA) announcing a similar two-week suspension of its league programme to accommodate the prestigious competitions.
According to the CBDPA executive, league fixtures were put on hold from Monday to July 3 as attention shifts to the CBL One and CBL Two tournaments.
“The scheduled pause is to allow the CBL tournaments to take place without scheduling conflicts, ensuring our players can fully focus on these prestigious events,” read part of the association’s notice.
The first tournament, CBL One, is scheduled for Saturday, June 20 at Bambi Lounge, while CBL two will take place on Saturday, June 27 at Guzzlers. Both events are expected to attract top cue artists from across Bulawayo, with competitors battling for honours, recognition and the prestige associated with being crowned CBL champions.
For the CBDPA, the interruption comes at a crucial stage of the season, with several teams still in contention for league honours. However, officials believe the break presents an opportunity for players to sharpen their skills through high-level competition before returning to league action.
The Provincial Premier League is also entering a decisive phase, making the timing of the break particularly significant. Coaches and players are expected to use the period to regroup, fine-tune strategies and maintain fitness ahead of a demanding second half of the season.
CBDPA league action will resume on the weekend of July 4 and 5, beginning with Fixture 15 on Saturday before teams return to the tables the following day for Fixture 16 in a double-header programme.
With both competitions pausing to accommodate the tournaments, attention now turns to Bambi Lounge and Guzzlers, where the spotlight will firmly be on the CBL events. Once the tournaments conclude, players will shift their focus back to league competition, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting and highly competitive finish to the season. —@FungaiMuderere
