Zusa champs kick off

Sports Reporter
THE stage is set for the inaugural edition of the Zimbabwe Universities Sports Association (Zusa) Old Mutual Varsities Super Six Championships that start at University of Zimbabwe in Harare tomorrow. National University of Science and Technology (Nust), Lupane State University (LSU), University of Zimbabwe (UZ), Bindura University, Catholic University of Technology(CUT), Women University of Africa (WUA), Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) and Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) are the 10 institutions that will battle it out for the top spot.

The institutions of higher learning will compete in soccer for men, netball for women and basketball for both sexes.
In an interview yesterday, Zusa president Liberty Maidza said the teams taking part were top teams.
Lupane State University and HIT have been invited to take part for the first time at this level.

“The competing teams are the top six for ladies and top eight for men’s varsity teams in netball, basketball and soccer respectively. Lupane State University and HIT are the two invitational teams that will be participating,” Maidza said.

In soccer, UZ, Bindura, Nust, GZU, WUA, CUT will take to the field while MSU, UZ, Bindura, GZU, WUA and CUT will compete in netball.
Nust, MSU, Bindura, UZ, CUT, WUA, LSU and HIT will battle it out in basketball.

Tight competition is expected from Chinhoyi University of Technology who until recently played in the Netball Super League as well as Great Zimbabwe University who have a team playing in the First Division.

Maidza expressed gratitude to Old Mutual for partnering the universities in the games.
He said in future they would add more sporting disciplines.

“We are very excited about the new journey that we are beginning with Old Mutual. We hope it will promote talent that is rife within the university circles and we wish to add more disciplines to the tournament as we move along.

“We want to extend the invitation to all sports associations within the participating sporting disciplines as well as clubs to attend the competition and scout for untapped talent. The public is also encouraged to come and be entertained by the student athletes,” he said.

All participating teams will receive branded Old Mutual kit and monetary prizes, trophies, shields and medals.