Daniel Chigunwe Herald Correspondent ZIMBABWE has been crowned champions of the AUSC Region 5 Darts Championship after putting up a dominant performance at the regional tournament in Gaborone, Botswana, last…
Daniel Chigunwe
Herald Correspondent
ZIMBABWE has been crowned champions of the AUSC Region 5 Darts Championship after putting up a dominant performance at the regional tournament in Gaborone, Botswana, last week.
Team Zimbabwe collected 20 medals — six gold, six silver and eight bronze — to emerge as the overall champions, reaffirming the country’s growing strength in regional darts.
The competition brought together leading players from the Southern African region, with Zimbabwe competing across senior, youth and veterans categories.
The achievement was celebrated by the National Darts Association of Zimbabwe (NDAZ), with association president Rodwell “Chondoz” Chidanhamabwe hailing the team’s performance as a demonstration of discipline, preparation, unity and determination.
Chidanhamabwe said the players had gone to Botswana not only as competitors, but as ambassadors of Zimbabwe, and had returned home as champions.
The achievement was particularly significant given the financial constraints faced by the association in preparing for the tournament.
Chidanhamabwe said limited resources had forced them to adopt careful planning and prioritisation to ensure that the national team travelled to Botswana and competed at the highest level.
“We could not let funding constraints limit our ambition,” said Chidanhamabwe.
“Through careful planning, prudent management, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment, we ensured that our team got to Gaborone.”
Zimbabwe’s individual gold-medal winners included Kudzanayi Nyemba, who won the Senior Men’s Closed Singles, while Isaac Dauro secured gold in the Veterans category.
In the youth categories, Tanaka Muchinapaya and Pretty Janet Elizabeth Shava won the Youth Mixed Doubles, while Oasis Sibanda claimed gold in the Youth Ladies Closed Singles.
The Senior Men’s Team and Youth Under-25 Team also produced outstanding performances, securing gold medals and overall trophies.
The strong showing followed preparations undertaken by NDAZ ahead of the championship, including national trials held in Chinhoyi in May to identify players who would represent the country at the regional competition.
Chidanhamabwe paid tribute to the athletes, coaches, technical team, executives and families of the players for their contribution to the team’s success.
He said the achievement should inspire young Zimbabweans across the country to take up darts and recognise the opportunities that competitive sport can provide.
“Sport does more than win medals. It builds national pride. It teaches discipline. It opens doors for young people,” he said.
Chidanhamabwe also expressed appreciation to the AUSC Region 5 Board and Botswana for hosting the competition, saying regional tournaments provide an important platform for athletes to gain exposure while strengthening sporting ties among Southern African countries.
NDAZ said it would continue working with the Sports and Recreation Commission and corporate partners to mobilise resources, improve training infrastructure and create greater exposure for Zimbabwean players.
The Gaborone triumph provides fresh momentum for the continued development of darts in Zimbabwe, with the national team expected to build on its regional success in upcoming international competitions.
