THE need to integrate cue sports into schools and grassroots structures is growing louder, with the recently crowned 2025 national champions at the Carling Black Label Pool Championships calling on stakeholders to spread the sport to community centres.

At a time when the fast-growing sport of cue-ball, affectionately known as snooker, is fast gaining traction in the country, a call has been made to the sport’s body and sponsors to create a grassroots base.

With the sport mainly played in beerhalls, the 2025 Carling Black Label National Pool Champions, Alice Chiota and Timothy Onida, believe there is a lot of talent in the country that needs to be unearthed by taking pool to community centres and schools.

“Representing Chitungwiza and winning at this stage is an honour. My wish is for this sport to be taken out of beerhalls and brought into schools and public places. There is talent out there, but a number of the upcoming stars are not comfortable in beerhalls, so it is time we start taking the game to the people,” Chiota said.

“Coming from a marginalised area like Epworth, this means a lot. I have set a platform for others from my area to follow. There is a strong need for the game to grow and for kids to realise their dreams if the sport is spread,” Onida noted.

Chiota and Onida conquered 78 opponents in their respective categories to be crowned queen and king of cue during the Carling Black Label National Pool Championships a week ago, after an impressive 31 rounds of regional showdowns, an improvement from 26 in 2024.

The sponsors of the national championships have reiterated their commitment to the growth of the sport. They pledged more than US$11 000 to the winners of the 2025 edition.