Zim Unveils Inaugural Harare Mayor’s Challenge Cup Ahead of Region 5 Games
HARARE will make history later this month when it hosts the inaugural Harare Mayor’s Challenge Cup Taekwondo Championship, with organisers hoping the new event will establish the capital as a regional hub for the Olympic sport.
The first edition of the tournament, held under the patronage of Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume, will take place at the City Sports Centre from August 15 to 16 and is expected to attract competitors from Zimbabwe and across the Southern African region.
The Zimbabwe Taekwondo Association (ZTA) has extended invitations to countries within the SADC Region Five bloc, with the championship also forming part of Zimbabwe’s preparations for the Region Five Games scheduled for Mozambique in December.
ZTA president Benson Zwizwai said the association was determined to make the Mayor’s Challenge Cup a landmark event on the national sporting calendar.
“We are very excited about the inaugural Harare Mayor’s Challenge Cup Taekwondo Championship. We are expecting a huge turnout and we have extended invitations to our colleagues from countries within Region Five. We sincerely hope the event will have an international flavour,” Zwizwai said.
He said the partnership with the City of Harare was a significant milestone for the development of Taekwondo.
“We are delighted to have the support of the Mayor. When the Mayor comes on board, you also expect other key stakeholders to support the event. We hope to welcome the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, representatives from the Sports and Recreation Commission, the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee and senior Government officials. We want this championship to raise the profile of Taekwondo in Zimbabwe.”
Beyond hosting regional competition, the event is expected to provide Zimbabwe’s national team with quality match practice ahead of the Region Five Games.
“Our athletes won gold, silver and bronze medals previously and we have promised the Sports and Recreation Commission that we want to improve further. This championship is part of our preparations as we aim to move from winning bronze to consistently winning gold medals,” Zwizwai said.
Harare City Martial Arts Club chairman Martin Chimombe said preparations were progressing smoothly, with athletes already registering for the historic tournament.
“The response has been encouraging. The athletes have already started registering and invitations have gone out across the region. We are expecting a huge turnout for this first edition,” Chimombe said.
Organisers hope the Harare Mayor’s Challenge Cup will become an annual fixture capable of attracting elite athletes from across Southern Africa while strengthening Zimbabwe’s international competitiveness.
