Story by Raynald Ngwarati, Sports Reporter
SPORT has been identified as a critical tool in marketing Brand Zimbabwe while creating employment opportunities and combating drug and substance abuse if more people adopt it as a profession.
Sport has not been left behind in the Second Republic’s vision of Leaving No One and No Place Behind with the Zimbabwe Table Soccer Association also known as ‘Slug’ joining the vision of creating employment and eradicating drugs.
This Sunday saw the association staging national championships in Mabvuku, with the organisers urging more people to come on board and play the sport professionally as they can earn a living from it.
Speaking to the ZBC News, the ‘slug’ leadership spoke on the importance of the sport in generating jobs whilst also putting Zimbabwe on the global FOOTBALL map.
“We have many tournaments where we are going to the region, our team is going to South Africa, and from there it will go to Zambia and then to Uganda. In August they will go to America and in September they will go to China showing that FOOSBALL or table soccer is now a game played on a national level,” said Zimbabwe Table Soccer Association president, Advocate Coxwell Chigwanha.
The tournament’s sponsors and local leadership reaffirmed their commitment to support the sport in line with the Second Republic’s vision, while also creating fertile ground for world champions to emerge from Zimbabwe.
Tournament sponsor, Honourable Pedzisai Sakupwanya said, “Slug is not a common sport, but look and see how it is being introduced to the world. Look at the champions that have come from Mabvuku, so, as leaders, we must support this sport.”
The top twenty players from across the country converged at Kasi Kasi bar with five slots on offer to make the national team that will tour the world.
The best five singles players and two doubles players that have been selected from the tournament will have the honour of representing the country next month.
