Region 5 Federation Darts Championship: Zimbabwe Retains Championship Trophy

In the recently held Region 5 Federation Darts Championship held in Zimbabwe,team Zimbabwe have returned the Championship and attained even more medals in 2014.The Region 5 (formerly Zone VI) Federation Darts Championships 2014 was held at R.B.Z. Social & Sports Club, Mabelreign in Harare, Zimbabwe from the 25th of August to the 2nd of September.

As many sports disciplines mourned of missed chances, poor administration, lack of financial and corporate support the darts fraternity is reveling in an overhaul of medals and achievement ever done in any sporting discipline in the country. There is no sport in the country that has achieved what darts team has done to the country. Not for the first time but second in a row.

Darts in the country is not recognized seriously like other sports despite it being fully recognized in many sporting forums, organizations and institutions. The Zimbabwe Republic Police recognize darts as a sporting discipline among its various sporting codes and have taken darts to high levels through its bi-annual SARPCCO games.

NASH has also taken darts aboard through the development efforts of National Darts Association of Zimbabwe [NDAZ] to spread the game to grassroots levels. The Zimbabwe under 25s achievement is well documented in the Zimbabwean history books. Higher tertiary institutions have also taken darts aboard their sporting codes.

Zimbabwe managed to garner 208 points in total 18 more than in 2012 Orkney South Africa. Even without corporate sponsors coming in to support the Zimbabwean darts teams, the men, women and youths gave it their all and played their heart out to take almost everything on offer.

All the country's provinces have functional darts league with two annual events held by N.D.A.Z in the Easter and Heroes periods. It's time the country embraces darts as a sport and put its support in darts. Also the corporate world should take darts as an alternative area of marketing and sponsorship. We might want to be the best soccer, netball, cricket nation etc but it will take a lot of things put together. The reality now is we are the darts champions in Africa!!!

Collectively the team Zimbabwe took;-
GOLD       -10
SILVER       -8
BRONZE   -13

In 2012 at Oakney, South Africa, Zimbabwe attained only 15 medals with 190 points. Look what was done this year. A total of 31 medals in that in every section there was one or two medals. Let's give a round applause to Team Zimbabwe Darts 2014.

For two years in a row Zimbabwe is the best African darts nation, champions if you like it. Over the years South Africa has been dominating the region, now enter Zimbabwe. Below is the region five ranking according to points garnered at the just ended Region Five darts Championships.

Overall               Points
1 Zimbabwe         208
2 South Africa      168
3 Botswana            98
4 Malawi                 84
5 Namibia               48
6 Zambia                36
7 Swaziland            32

Below is the breakdown of medals according to performance.

GOLD MEDALS
1. Veterans Mixed Closed Pairs (1 Male/1 Female) - Ndumiso Tshuma & Tabeth Zhoya - Gold
2. Youth Mixed Closed Pairs (1 Male/1 Female) - Nyasha Chiriseri & Charity Masuka - Gold
3. Women's Open Pairs Melody Gezana & Svodai Nyika - Gold
4. Men's Open Pairs Simon Mujuru & Justin Thomas - Gold
5. Men's Closed Pairs David Nyemba & Kudzie Nyemba - Gold
6. Women's Open Singles (Senior) Svodai Nyika - Gold
7. Men's Closed Singles (Youth) Nyasha Chiriseri - Gold
8. Women's Closed Singles (Youth) Charity Masuka - Gold
9. Men's Closed Singles (Senior) Kudzanayi Nyemba – Gold

Youth Team Event + Overall Champions - Gold
Nyasha Chiriseri
Lovejoy Arimon
Charity R. Masuka
Karen Zhoya
Alec C. Chiwaridzo - Team Manager

SILVER MEDALS
1. Men's Open Pairs Moses Ndlovu & Brian Ndlovu - Silver
2. Woman's Open Singles Tabeth Zhoya - Silver
3. Men's Open Singles (Senior) Simon Mujuru - Silver
4. Women's Closed Singles (Veterans) Thandiwe Sidhlodhlo - Silver
5. Women's Closed Singles (Youth) Karen Zhoya - Silver
6. Women's Closed Singles (Senior) Svodai Nyika – Silver
 
Veterans Team Event + Joint Champions - Silver
Ndumiso Tshuma
Happy Mbwera
Tabeth Zhoya
Thandiwe Sidhlodhlo
Stephen T. Mwarindira - Team Manager
Senior Women Team Event - Silver
Melody G. Gezana
Svodai Nyika
Joice Mloyi
Phindile Ndlovu
Grace Musiiwa
Mtonzima Dlamini - Team Manager

BRONZE MEDALS
1. Open Trips (Senior-Veteran-Youth) Moses Ndlovu - Bronze
2. Open Trips (Senior-Veteran-Youth) Charity Masuka - Bronze
3. Veterans Mixed Closed Pairs (1 Male/1 Female) Happy Mbwera & Thandiwe Sidhlodhlo - Bronze
4. Youth Mixed Closed Pairs (1 Male/1 Female) Lovejoy Arimon & Karen Zhoya - Bronze
5. Women's Open Pairs Grace Musiiwa & Silindile Sizalakho - Bronze
6. Men's Open Pairs David Nyemba & Kudzie Nyemba - Bronze
7. Women's Closed Pairs Joice Mloyi & Phindile Ndlovu - Bronze
8. Men's Open Singles Brian Ndlovu - Bronze
9. Men's Open Singles Kudzanayi Nyemba - Bronze
10. Women's Closed Singles (Veterans) Tabeth Zhoya - Bronze
11. Men's Closed Singles (Veterans) Ndumiso Tshuma - Bronze
12. Men's Closed Singles (Youth) Lovejoy Arimon - Bronze

Senior Men Team Event + Joint Champions - Bronze
David Nyemba
Kudzanayi Nyemba
Simon Mujuru
Moses Ndlovu
Brian Ndlovu
Justin Thomas
Albert Tawanda
Patrick Zimidzi
Titus A. Mutsvairo - Team Manager

Prepared By:-Collen Maenda
Results supplied by Stephen Mwarindira NDAZ Secretary General