By Shepherd Masunda, Own Correspondent
Harare-Thirty tobacco companies participated in this year’s tobacco industry games held at First Capital Sports Club in Mt Pleasant,Harare featuring various sporting codes including soccer,netball,snooker,tag of war,volleyball and darts .The sports edition was running under the theme ‘promoting health through sport’
In an interview with National Employment Council (NEC) Tobacco Industry chairman Tich Zimhondi said he was happy to host such a prestigious sporting event as they raise awareness and advocate against issues like child labour in tobacco farms.
“We are aware that a lot of things are happening in tobacco farms like deforestation, issue of child labour in farms and even drug abuse but through this platforms we are raising awareness through sport and that is why we are here today,”said Zimhondi.
NEC Sports Committee chairperson Norman Magwenzi said next year’s edition will be a different one as they are planning to add more sporting disciplines like basketball and also bemoaned this year’s low tobacco volumes that led to diffuculties in the palnning of the sports extravaganza.
“We were planning to add basketball but due to a decline in tobacco volumes we will work on that next year,”said Magwenzi.
This year’s tobacco industry was affected by El Nino induced drought as compared to last year where the sector recorded the highest volumes of 296 million kgs. NEC Tobacco industry games are held on annual basis with all companies in the tobacco industry taking part with some being eliminated at preliminary round.