Katika launches pool tourney in Bangwe

Businessperson and aspiring parliamentarian for Blantyre Bangwe Justice Katika has launched a K300 000 pool tournament in the area.

Limbe Zone Pool chairperson Joseph Ngondoma yesterday said the tournament, which has attracted 10 teams, is scheduled to start this Saturday.

“The 10 participating teams will be divided into two groups of five teams each that will play on round-robin basis with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the semi-finals,” said Ngondoma.

He said the winning team will get K50 000 plus a trophy while the runners-up will pocket K40 000. The third and fourth-placed teams will receive K30 000 and K20 000 respectively.

“The target is to have the finals played during the last weekend of April as we do not have much time,” said Ngondoma.

The tournament director further said the registration fee is K5 000 each team that will go towards administration.

Katika said he has launched the tournament as one way of contributing towards the development of the sport.

“Pool is one of the fast-growing sports disciplines in the country that are enjoyed by both the youth and the elderly and, recently Mapa, [Malawi Pool Association] successfully hosted the African championship which was a testimony that the sport is growing on the domestic scene, hence the need for such support,” said Katika who also sponsors K2 million football and netball tournaments in the area.