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MBABANE – Colani Mbingo of REPS Pool Team has added another lucrative championship to his many accolades.
Mbingo beat Khanyokuhle Simelane 9-6 in the finals of the Royal Eswatini Police Services (REPS) Singles Tournament. Mbingo walked away with E2 000 and a trophy for the first prize. Simelane, who also plays for REPS Pool Team, got E1 000 for attaining second spot during the tournament played at the Police College in Matsapha this past Sunday.
Colani’s journey to the final was a challenging one, as he had to overcome the country’s top-ranked player in Zweli Dlamini of Way Inn in the last 32 and Sandile ‘B’ Dlamini of Manzini Masters in a 5-3 scoreline for both legs, as he had two entries all the way to the last eight.
He overcame Sonic Dlamini of Manzini Pool Club with a 5-0 score line and Hleta Nkosinathi of Way Inn got a 5-2 drubbing in the last 16. The last eight had three players with ‘double lives’ in Eddie Mondlane, Simelane and Mbingo.
The other two players to make the last eight were Sandile Gama and Thembinkosi Nhlabatsi of Way Inn. The double lives were eliminated as the players with two entries were drawn against each other, leaving only one tie between Sandile Gama and his teammate Thembinkosi Nhlabatsi where Nhlabatsi triumphed 5-2.
The semifinals saw Khanyokuhle beating Thembinkosi 7-2, and Mbingo overcoming another tough player in Eddie with 7-5 scoreline. The finals between the REPS duo was a closely-contested affair, as both players led along the tie. Colani
SINGLES RESULTS:
Finals:
C. Mbingo
Semifinal:
K. Simelane
Quarterfinals:
T. Nhlabatsi
Last 16:
K. Simelane C. Mbingo T. Nhlabatsi E. Mondlane E. Mondlane K. Simelane S. Gama C. Mbingo 9-6 K. Simelane 7-2 T. Nhlabatsi 5-2 Sandile Gama
5-4 Sandile Gama 5-0 Sonic Dlamini
5-4 Nhlanhla Mbingo 5-4 N. Sihlongonyane 5-2 T. Nhlabatsi
5-4 Sonic Dlamini
5-4 B. Dlamini
5-2 N. Hleta
led 4-2 in the earlier stages, while Khanyokuhle mounted a comeback to lead 5-4. It was only then when Mbingo applied an extra gear to open unassailable lead to clinch the championship with a 9-6 scoreline.
“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. I thank God for rewarding the hard work I have been putting in training,” said Mbingo when interviewed about his achievement.