By Tatiana Mhararira
The Carling Black Label provincial pool tournament, held at StopOver Gardens on July 12, 2025, ended with an exciting finish.
Four winners secured a ticket to represent the province at the national tournament in Bulawayo next month (August).
Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) student Lisa Marumbwa and Malvern Manamike were crowned provincial champions in the female and male categories, respectively.
Their impressive performances throughout the tournament were rewarded with a US$200 cash prize and five cases of Black Label cans, each containing four six-packs.
In the female category, Ester Mutambanebanga won second position, followed by Patience Pasipamire and Charity Katema. Tapiwa Musaona came second in the male category, followed by Pride Mananavire and Gamuchirai Jani.
The top two in each category will proceed to the next tournament. A total of 152 males and 12 females, drawn from across the province, participated in the provincial tournament, showcasing the growing popularity of pool in the region.
In an interview with TellZim News, Marumbwa said she was excited that she won the tournament, though it came as a surprise.
“The tournament was a bit tough. It wasn’t an easy one since everyone played their best and wanted to win. I faced a serious challenge of panicking during game time. My opponent would lead while I trailed behind, but I focused throughout till I reached the finals and won. The main secret behind my success is consistency and love for the game. Pool is a sport that I have loved, and whenever I play, I play wholeheartedly.
“I dedicate my success in my mother, who is my biggest supporter. Not all parents allow their children to play pool, especially a girl child. I am grateful to my coaches, Trust Asima Makwinja and Martin, for their guidance,” said Marumbwa.
Marumbwa also said she was going to train harder to excel at the national tournament. “At the national level, I am going to do my level best to raise our province’s name high. I will do everything in my power to make my fellow pool players proud of me.”
Manamike said he was excited about winning such a tournament for the first time.
“I was overwhelmed with joy when I won the tournament. I felt I had achieved something big, though there is still a long way to go. This is my first win at a provincial level, but it’s not going to be the last,” said Manamike.
He also said the early stages of the tournament were easy, but it got tough towards the end.
“The tournament went so well in the early stages, and I was so relaxed because I was playing against people who were yet to make their names in the sport. However, when I reached the final, the game became tougher because I played against last year’s champion, who had a lot of support from the people, but I was composed and won the game. I said I was going to put more effort into training for the national tournament since I would be carrying the province’s name,” he said.
Masvingo Pool Association Vice Chairperson Kudakwashe Mudekunye said the level of competition was different from last year’s and they believed in the winners.
“The level of competition was fairly high, and most of the top players were eliminated in the first and second rounds, giving the opportunity for less popular players to emerge and excel in the competition,” said Mudekunye.
Mudekunye said they were happy with the number of participants that increased in the male category but noted a decrease in the female category.
“The number of participants was higher than last year, where we had almost 100 participants, and this year we had 152 participants in the men’s category, which shows sport growth in Masvingo. However, there was a slight decrease in the women’s category because last year we had about 20 participants,” he said.
As the champions prepare for the national tournament, anticipation builds within the community. The success of the event not only highlights the talent in Masvingo but also strengthens the bond among local players and proves to be a significant platform for talent identification and development.
