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Seventeen players were selected for the regional tournament at the national trials that were held at Zvishavane last weekend.

The players qualified for the final selections after amassing best points from last year’s heroes tournament that took place at Falcon College and the 2012 Easter Holidays Championships that were at Hillside Teachers’ College.

Bulawayo’s player of the moment, Patrick Zimidzi, who turns out for Railstars and Old Nic Mine’s Moses Ndlovu, are part of the eight-member main men’s team with Tshuma set to partner Alson Dale of Midlands for the senior men’s category in South Africa.

Railstars’ Boniface Maningi and Highlanders’ Brian Ndlovu and Nkululeko Ncube failed to make the grade for the main men’s team. Tshuma, who was part of Team Zimbabwe that participated at the 2010 Zone Six Games in Lesotho, was elated and vowed to work hard.

“I had not qualified for the national final trials but got a special invitation to defend my position since I had won at the last Zone Six competition in Lesotho. Right now, I am happy to be part of the national team and my hope is that our local association will give us moral support as we prepare for the Zone Six Games set for South Africa. I am going to work hard so that I win in South Africa,” Tshuma said.

The players that got special invitations for the national trials by the National Darts Association of Zimbabwe through its secretary Stephen Mwarindira are Jonathan Magaya, Charles John, Munyaradzi Chinoona, Tapera Makadho and Tshuma.

Tshuma is the only one from the team that went for the last Zone Six Games who managed to book a place for this year’s edition.

Meanwhile, Bulawayo’s Merlin Bafana made it to the main women’s team which has Melody Gezana of Manicaland, Midlands’ trio of Tabeth Zhoya, Grace Musiiwa and Joice Mloyi. The country’s two representatives in the senior women’s category are Harare’s Florence Ncube and Alice Mafumhe.

Squads
Main Men: David Nyemba, Kudzanayi Nyemba (both Mashonaland West), Peter Mulukhula (Mashonaland East), Patrick Zimidzi, Moses Ndlovu (both Bulawayo), Justin Thomas (Masvingo),Timothy Chibwe (Midlands)
Senior Men: Alson Dale (Midlands), Ndumiso Tshuma (Bulawayo)
Main Women: Melody Gezana (Manicaland), Tabeth Zhoya, JoiceMloyi, Grace Musiiwa (all Midlands), Merlin Bafana (Bulawayo)
Senior Women: Florence Ncube (Harare), Alice Mafumhe (Mashonaland East)