Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
AFRICAN Volleyball Confederation (CAVB) Zone VI president Fredrick Ndlovu has praised the Bulawayo community for turning up in their numbers and creating a carnival atmosphere at the just ended club volleyball championship at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF).
The ZITF was a hive of activity for the past week as crowds thronged Hall 3 to rally behind local teams.
“Fans were a key component to the resounding success of the tournament.
“You could see that they had an influence on the level of competition witnessed by urging on teams that took part in the tournament.
“When the Zimbabwean teams were not in action, fans adopted other teams just to make sure they maintained the electric environment. Even the visiting teams have applauded the support they got from the home fans,” said Ndlovu.
“Most importantly, the supporters showed us that volleyball has the potential to draw huge crowds because it is surely entertaining and competitive.
“Generally this was a very successful tournament. Attendance of teams was above 70 percent compared to the previous edition.
“We are pleased to have had international officials and even scorers, which goes to show how the tournament is growing.”
He said the local organising committee was on point with their work, as there were no complaints from the teams.
Harare-based sides Support Unit and Harare City were crowned champions of the men and women’s categories respectively.
What made the event more thrilling was that the men’s final was an all-Zimbabwe final, with Support Unit beating University of Zimbabwe 3-1. In the women’s event, Harare City overcame Botswana Defence Forces 3-1.
Support Unit and UZ now proceed to the African Club Championships to be held in Egypt in 2018.
They now stand a chance of playing at the World Club Championships if they do well in the continental competition. — innocentskizoe
Online Reporter