ALICE Chiota and Timothy Onida have been crowned the new cue-ball national champions after outclassing 74 other competitors in the 2025 Carling Black Label National Pool Championships, which concluded in Bulawayo this weekend.

The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Hall 2 was transformed into an arena of precision, strategy, and concentration as the nation’s finest cueists battled for supremacy.

Following a series of provincial contests, 148 players converged for the national finals, with Harare Province dominating by producing both champions in this year’s edition.

For the newly crowned champions, the victory is more than a personal milestone, it is a legacy for their communities and future generations of players.

“I started playing in 2017 in this tournament, and I have just been coming close. This time, I trained really hard for this, and I am grateful it paid off. Representing Chitungwiza and winning at this stage is an honour,” Chiota said.

“I wanted this, and you know, coming from a marginalised area like Epworth, this means a lot. I told myself that I was going to win this for my community. The competition was fierce but fair. Winning means everything. It is not just about the money, it is about respect,” Onida expressed.

In the women’s finals, Harare’s Alice Chiota claimed top honours, followed by Christine Sengwe, with Michelle Dube also from Harare and Mashonaland East’s Perpetual Nyamayaro claiming pole.

In the men’s division, it was another Harare victory, with Timothy Onida coming out on top ahead of Masvingo’s Tapiwa Musaona, while Ronald Mutikani and Midlands’ Andile Ndlovu completed the top four.

The Carling Black Label National Pool Championships remain a celebration of local talent and growing passion for the sport.