The Sunday News
Senior Sports Reporter
LOCAL insurance firm Clarion are the main sponsors of the Mr and Ms Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Bodybuilding contest which will be staged at Cloud Nine in the city on Saturday.
According to the Simon Gama, the man behind the event, the contest will be making a return after the last one which was held in 2011.
Gama said the Bulawayo Metropolitan Bodybuilding and Fitness Association had taken over the running of the event and that a total of nine prizes were at stake with each category having three accolades. The groupings comprise senior male, junior men and women fitness.
Clarion have provided prize money with the total sponsorship package at $1 500. Cloud Nine have made available the venue while United Kingdom-based Nathan Greenland, owner of Body Works Gym, has pledged to chip in with some funds. In-Trun Trading have also come in with medals and trophies to be handed out on the night. There is also a helping hand from Hawkflight Construction, Super Med Pharmacy and Plus Two Pharmacy.
Gama expressed his gratitude to their sponsors for their generosity and implored them to continue funding their events including Mr Bulawayo scheduled for September.
“We are expecting about 30 athletes from all over Zimbabwe and some are coming from South Africa. We have four judges and one chief judge. We are really grateful to Clarion as our main sponsor, we are expecting them to continue assisting us in holding Mr ZITF and Mr Bulawayo,’’ said Gama.
Clarion southern region manager Mkhululi Nkomo said they had in the past supported bodybuilders to participate in international competitions and will continue sponsoring Mr and Ms ZITF as long as they remained operational.
“We have sponsored other bodybuilders to go to Durban, when they approached us we realised that being Trade Fair week we could pick one area that we can sponsor. It is a sport that does not get enough support; hopefully we will get some mileage from there as well. Our sponsorship can make a difference, we are going to continue to support them as long as we are still in business,’’ said Nkomo, adding that they would cater for everything including cash prizes.
Some of the top contenders for the men’s title are Mr Bulawayo Lovemore Munyamana, the past winner of the contest Isaac Muchenga of Gweru, Lazarus Shereni, South Africa-based Ndumiso Dlodlo, Givemore Marufu, John Lunga and Dean Grant. In the junior men section Courage Ganyani and Thabo Ngulube are some of the front runners.
Shantel Greenland, the current Ms Bulawayo is the firm favourite to land the women’s top prize ahead of Michelle Matsito. Selina Manuel, an up-and-coming bodybuilder who recently landed the Ms Novice title has been ruled out of the competition due to an injury she picked up while playing hockey for her school. The setback has left her walking with the aid of crutches. The bodybuilders will compete in quarter turns, compulsory pose as well as free pose.
Meanwhile, Ingwebu Breweries, the sponsors of the annual Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Tug of War National Championships have made changes to the prize structure of the popular competition and will only award teams that make it to the semi-finals.
In a speech delivered on behalf of the sponsor at the draw conducted at the ZITF arena on Friday, Ingwebu plant engineer Jaison Dube said the decision was influenced by a desire to increase competitiveness.
The changes will see the last four teams in both men and women categories getting financial incentives. In the past, male teams that made it to the quarter-finals also got prizes.
He implored participants to feel motivated rather than disheartened by the new prize structure which they should see as an opportunity to display their technique and prowess in the game.
The top prize for the men is pegged at $1 800, the runners-up will pocket $1 200, second runner carries a prize of $700 while the team settling for fourth place will get $500. For the women, $400 is the first prize, the losing finalists will get $300, the second runner up have a reward of $200 while the team in fourth place will walk away with $100.
A total of 28 men’s teams went into the draw while 12 women’s sides entered the competition. Ingwebu C, coached by Roy Mahlinza and Farai Matangaidze are the men’s defending champions while Zesa Bulawayo women were last year’s winners.
The teams will compete in the preliminary rounds at Gifford High School on Saturday morning before they head off to the ZITF main arena for the knockout phase.
Full draw
Men
Pool A: Ingwebu C, Zesa Munyati A, How Mine, ZESA Munyati B, Glow Petroleum, ZPC Bulawayo, BCC B
Pool B: CBZ B, Ingwebu B, Exide, Delta B, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Chloride, Khami Prison A
Pool C: Mutare Board and Paper Mills, Glow B, FBC A, BCC A, ZPC Hwange, CBZ A, FBC B
Pool D: Zesa Bulawayo A, How Mine B, Delta A, Ingwebu A, Khami Prison B, ZENT Harare, Hwange Colliery
Women
Pool A: Zesa Bulawayo, Glow Petroleum A, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zesa Holdings Harare, Glow Petroleum B
Pool B: Mambo Stars, Ingwebu B, CBZ, Hwange Colliery, Ingwebu A, BCC A
