Sibonokuhle Mboni
THE traditional weigh bay will be a thing of the past when the Kariba International Tiger Fishing Tournament (KITFT) starts on Lake Kariba on Wednesday, with scoring now done digitally for the more than 80 teams expected to take part.
Frampol, the tournament’s digital transformation partner, said scores will be displayed on screens in the arena for all to see with a link for fans to follow live online.
“We have no weigh bay. Scoring on screens for all to see. There will be a link for live viewing,” said Frampol director Brett Hobson.
Frampol said the changes were part of efforts to bring more life to the arena.
“The future of the tournament for us really is trying to bring the arena to life and trying to find digital ways that we can do that,” said Hobson.
He said several ideas were being tested this year and the team was working with other organisations to add excitement after each day’s fishing.
Tournament chairman Rob Law said 33 teams had already registered.
“We have 33 teams pre-registered. The rest will register today and tomorrow before the captains’ meeting at 1830 Hours on Tuesday. We are expecting over 80 teams this year,” said Law.
Fishing will take place on October 7, 8 and 9.
KITFT is a catch-and-release tournament and dead fish do not score points.
“All fish are measured on a mat with a video taken as evidence and also of a safe release,” said Law.
He said the tournament was using the Keepnet system.
The tournament will also benefit Zimparks Kariba.
“The Zimparks tournament fees and entry fees come to a substantial amount of income for Zimparks Kariba to use for protecting our lake and our tiger fish,” said Law.
The tournament has the backing of several sponsors led by title sponsor Zambezi and Grand Slam sponsor Stellar Solar. Rhino Creative is the marketing partner while Mednet, Ezy Track and Matusadona Conservancy Trust are platinum sponsors.
Prizes on offer include batteries, an inverter and cooler boxes from Stellar Solar, a generator from Tech Africa, air-conditioning units from Isocool and water pumps from Driptech.
Beyond the competition, the tournament is running a corporate social responsibility programme linked to the Kariba Ferry Disaster.
“We are also running a CSR programme the Kariba Ferry Disaster. We are raising money with donations coming from sponsors and anglers,” said Law.
