Chronicle Editor
Michael Magoronga, [email protected]
TUG-OF-WAR is becoming an increasingly popular sport with numerous organisations countrywide now participating.
The game involves two teams of eight players each, who pull on opposite ends of a rope to which team can bring the rope a certain distance in one direction against the force of the opposing team’s pull.
Each team has a combined maximum weight, which determines their category.
While tug-of-war is popular in countries like Egypt, India and Japan, it only gained traction in Africa and Zimbabwe in 2012.
Despite its humble beginnings as entertainment at shows, it has grown in popularity and spread throughout the country.
A year-end tournament was held at Mbizo Stadium in Kwekwe last week, with an impressive 27 teams competing.
Harare-based Exide won the men’s division, while Kwekwe’s Glow Petroleum A won the women’s division and Chitungwiza triumphed in the mixed division.
Teams from Bulawayo, Mutare, Kwekwe, Harare, Zvishavan and Kadoma, participated in the event. The sport continues to grow, with more and more companies joining, according to Zimbabwe Tug-of-War Federation president, Lazarus Nkomo.
“The sport has been appreciated in most parts of the country and I am glad that Kwekwe City Council is our latest baby, which has joined the Midlands chapter. We now look forward to spreading our wings further towards northern areas like Murewa, Bindura and Mt Darwin, among other areas. We want the sport to flourish in every corner of the country,” said Mr Nkomo.
He said plans were afoot to introduce the sport in schools.
“We want to start rolling out the sport in schools but currently, we are facing funding challenges. This is where we are calling on the corporate world to help sponsor the sport so that it can start at the grassroots level,” he said.
Midlands Provincial Sports and Recreation Co-ordinator, Simon Masaka, acknowledged the funding challenges but said corporates were ready to support the sport if approached.
“I am seeing strong enthusiasm towards tug-of-war and it is great to see given that it was previously a marginalised sport.
“Yes, the sport might be facing funding challenges, but I am sure that the corporate world is ready to sponsor the sport if we approach them,” he said.
Masaka also urged the tug-of-war leadership to consider rolling out the sport to schools.
“I have challenged the leadership to approach the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to start rolling out the sport in schools. If the juniors start playing the sport, we can start producing fully fledged players who can play at national and regional level,” he said.
Masaka said the sport was easy to introduce since it was not demanding with the rope being the major component. Zimbabwe played host to the 2024 African championship which saw countries like Ghana, Zambia and South Africa converging in the resort town of Victoria Falls for the competition, further cementing how the sport has gathered momentum in the country.
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