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Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Pool Association (ZIPA) is set to set off the year on a high note by hosting the 2023 Champions League tournament that will feature the best clubs from around the country’s different provincial leagues.
The tournament, which will be hosted in Mutare at the end of next month, will be the first event after Covid-19 restrictions were eased by the Government after closure of all sporting codes which brought the sport to a standstill.
“Whilst it is appreciated that pool programmes did not reach full throttle during 2022, we find it appropriate to reintroduce the national competition this year,” read a letter from ZIPA technical director, Wellington Chikasha.
Hosting rights were awarded to Manicaland Province as they aim to provide every region with the opportunity to host the decorated event.
Participation is mandatory for all clubs that finished in positions one to three in their respective provincial leagues in the year 2022. Clubs that will fail to take part in the event ‘for various reasons will have to pay a non-participation fee of US$20’.
Another penalty for non-participation will see a club being rendered ineligible to take part in their provincial league with regional executives expected to enforce the requirement.
Provinces who will have their teams take part should be members of ZIPA and those whose memberships were revoked will not be eligible to participate and registration for the event is pegged at US$100.
The tournament winner is set to take home a prize money of US$1 300 while second place will pocket US$700. Third place will be awarded US$400 followed by US$200 in fourth while numbers five to eight will get US$50 each.
There will be eight groups of clubs in the event and each set shall consist of three teams or more if the number of participants exceeds 24. A round-robin playing format will be applied and the two teams topping each group will proceed to the next round. – @brandon_malvin
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter