Onida and Chiota Crowned 2025 Carling Black Label National Pool Champions in Bulawayo
IT was a night to remember in Bulawayo as Epworth’s Timothy Onida and Chitungwiza’s Alice Chiota were crowned the men’s and women’s champions at the 2025 Carling Black Label National Pool Finals.
The ZITF Hall was full of excitement on Saturday night as 148 of Zimbabwe’s best pool players competed.
Seventy-four participated in the men’s competition and another seventy-four in the women’s. They were all fighting for the top prize, cash rewards, and brand new pool tables.
For Onida, winning was like a dream come true. Many did not expect him to win, but he surprised everyone by beating Masvingo’s Tapiwa Musaona 5 to 1 in the men’s final. He took home 2,500 US dollars and a pool table. Musaona won 1,500 US dollars. Ronald Mutikani came third and got 1,000 US dollars, while Andile Ndlovu finished fourth with 500 US dollars.
“It’s great to have won this tournament and I would like to thank God. I have been competing in tournaments for a while now and coming into the tournament I told myself that I want to win and believed this was my time,” Onida said.
Oneida who plays for Waterfalls-based club Q Stars also thanked the tournament sponsors and the people who have supported his career.
“I would like to pay tribute to the tournament sponsors for giving local pool players a platform to showcase their talent while also staying away from things such as drugs and other vices.
I would also like to acknowledge the role that Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa played; he helped mould me into the person I am today and has also played a critical role in uplifting me in the sport. He also gave me the pool table I currently use for my training and I am grateful for that. I would also like to pay tribute to my sponsors Nevsun Aggregates who have also been with me throughout this journey,” Onida added.
In the women’s competition, Chiota finally got her win after coming close in past years. She beat Christine Sengwe 5 to 1 in the final. Chiota won 2,500 US dollars and a pool table. Sengwe earned 1,500 US dollars. Michelle Dube came third and got 1,000 US dollars, while Perpetua Nyamayaro was fourth with 500 US dollars.
“I just had this push, this belief that I would do it this time because I have come close to winning in recent years and I am just so happy to have finally won,” Chiota said.
“I would like to encourage my fellow women to take up sports such as pool which not only act as positive pastimes but can also become a viable career, especially given the presence of sponsors like Delta Beverages.”
Delta Beverages representative Washington Mudimbu praised the players.
“I would like to acknowledge the incredible talent and sportsmanship showcased by the players and I would like to applaud them for making this competition a memorable experience as each player brought their A game. We look forward to more such exciting competitions of this high standard going forward,” Mudimbu said.
