CBZ Holdings has pledges support for the national chess championship going into the future ahead of the start of the competition at Joina City in Harare tomorrow.
It will be the second year in a row that the financial institution will be sponsoring the national chess competition.
The CBZ national chess championship will run from April 8 - 13 and will see the top 12 chess player in the men and women classes clash for the top honours.
This time around, CBZ are sponsoring the event to the tune of US$7 000 and has pledged to continue with the partnership into the foreseeable future.
"As CBZ we are excited to be part of this momentous occasion where we are witnessing the second edition of the CBZ national chess championship. It's something that we are passionate about and we are excited that we can invest and also be a responsible corporate citizen through this initiative. We are going to continue to invest in this as a continued brand sponsorship. For us as CBZ and we are really happy that our investment has made a difference," CBZ Holdings representative Manatsa Gaka said.
"In terms of philanthropy, we have got three main pillars that we are focusing on, which are education, sport and vulnerable communities. You will notice that in March we sponsored the CBZ marathon, which is now an annual event that we invest in.
"So last year, the Federation approached us with an opportunity to sponsor this initiative and when we noticed their objectives and saw that they were aligned with our philosophy in terms of giving back to the community, we felt that it was a good brand to invest in. That's what prompted us and we haven't been disappointed yet so it's a partnership we anticipate we will be in for the foreseeable future," he added.
The national championships come barely a week after the Easter Open, which was held in Masvingo over the Easter holidays.
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Zimbabwe Chess Federation (ZCF) secretary general Todd Mapingire was pleased with the continued support from CBZ Holdings.
"The highly anticipated tournament will feature Zimbabwe's top 12 chess players in two sections, men and women, who will compete for a chance to represent Zimbabwe in the upcoming international tournaments including the 45th Chess Olympiad in Hungary, Budapest, BRICS games in Kazan Russia, World Friendship games and other significant tournaments.
"It is the largest tournament in Zimbabwe in terms of chess. We are grateful to the sponsors CBZ Holdings. In future we would like to see the sponsorship package increase so that the winners can get more money.
Last year, the event was held as a World Cup qualifier and international chess master Rodwell Makoto emerged the winner in the male category ahead of Jemmuse Zhemba and Spencer Masango in second and third respectively while Emarald Mushore was fourth.
Mushore will be fancying his chances after his win at the ZCF Easter Open in Masvingo last week.
Christine Mukwena, who recently won the Easter Open Championship in the women class, is one of the favorites to win the tournament.
Mukwena finished second behind winner Linda Shaba with Tatenda Zengeni coming third.
