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Lovemore Zigara Midlands Correspondent
NEMAKONDE High School from Mashonaland West province beat 18 other schools to emerge champions of this year’s edition of the Fastpitch Softball tournament held at Mutare Boys’ High School at the weekend.

Nemakonde outclassed Midlands’ provincial representative Mambo High School 7-1 in the final. Defending champions Chinhoyi High, who had dominated the tourney by winning the event five years in a row, failed to make it to the final after losing 2-4 to Nkulumane High School of Bulawayo in the quarter-finals.

Nemakonde had lost only once to Ascot High School of Gweru during the group stages in which they also faced St David’s Bonda, Mandwandwe and Eaglesvale.

Nemakonde beat Hamilton 7-4 before upstaging Nkulumane in the last four to storm in the final.

Nkulumane clinched third place after beating Montrose in the third and fourth place play-off.

Manicaland provincial education director Edward Shumba pledged government support for the continued growth of softball across the country.

Shumba said he wanted to see the sport cascading to all schools in his province.

The Zimbabwe Softball Association (ZSA) has already introduced softball at primary level starting with Early Childhood Development (ECD) in five provinces, Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central. The sport is set to be rolled out to the remaining five provinces before the end of the year.