Newly appointed National Elite Pool Players Association of Zimbabwe (NEPAZ) chairman, Tendai Mubaiwa, has stepped up to the table with a bold vision to completely transform Zimbabwean pool.
Aiming to shatter the outdated stigma that the cue sport is merely a pastime for drunkards and vice, Mubaiwa has launched a sweeping campaign to professionalise the game.
His ambitious roadmap targets two main areas: securing major corporate sponsorship to significantly boost player earnings and launching an aggressive offensive against drug and substance abuse within the community.
By elevating both the payouts and the discipline of the sport, he intends to turn Zimbabwe's raw talent into a highly respected, lucrative elite league.
Known in pool circles as "Inspector", Mubaiwa takes the helm of NEPAZ for the 2026–2030 term.
Backed by a decorated profile and an enviable track record of success, his appointment signals a golden era ahead for Zimbabwean cue sports. Tendai Mubaiwa is a doyen of the cue sport who started his journey as a player in the 1990s.
He has featured in more than ten national tournaments and has hoisted the Zimbabwe national flag with aplomb in China, Uganda, Zambia, South Africa, and other countries, leaving an indelible mark of excellence.
At a local level, "Inspector" won three brand-new pool tables in the Delta-sponsored Carling Black Label (CBL) tournament, as well as significant prize money. From 2015 to 2022, the now NEPAZ chairman had been reaching the finals or winning the CBL championship, such that his countless rivals could not help but be cowed into submission, owing to his exquisite exploits on the table.
"My display room is full of accolades and since 2002, I have participated in countless individual and teams tournaments such that I have more than 150 accolades to my sleeve and amassed a lot of cash along the way," said the humble Mubaiwa.
Inspector pitched his play at the highest level and, upon the realisation that most players ended up shunning competition against him—especially after his unique feats in the CBL, international tournaments, and other local events—he decided to invest his funds in selling pool tables and accessories in Chitungwiza and later in Hatcliffe.
He subsequently built an empire called Under Inspection, where he sells pool tables and other accessories such as pool cues, chalk, gloves, and tips, as well as offering physical training to a vast number of pool aspirants of all age groups and genders.
Asked about the type of pool he plays to scale such heights, Mubaiwa said his style is called Tactical pool.
Tactical pool is a style that entails playing not just to pot a ball, but to make life difficult for your opponents by thinking two or three shots ahead.
The core idea is: "If you can't win this turn, I will make sure you can't either". A tactical player hits their ball but leaves the cue ball in a difficult position for the opponent.
Aptly put, he places the cue ball behind another ball so that the opponent cannot hit their own ball directly; in today's lingo, this is generally called tsono.
It is his tactical style of play that earned him the nickname "Inspector", which has now stuck to him to become a brand name towering with majestic splendour in the country’s cue sports.
Pressed further to disclose what he teaches his trainees at his vast and thriving empire, Under Inspection—located at Number 52 Kenneth Kaunda, opposite the railway station—he said that cue sport is all about mastering strategy, aiming, angles, and drills; these are the key elements for a player to shoot to stardom in this genre.
He has more than 50 candidates under his tutelage, with a host of other learners who have opted to follow him through social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok.
This development has gone a long way toward easing his training itinerary, as he now spends less time on home visits to individuals and teams.
It has emerged that some big names and pool prodigies, such as Eshca “Mzamo” Chimbwanda, Malvern “Maluva” Mukonza, and Timothy “Sakala” Onida, have passed through his hands, and he prides himself on being a mentor of the highest order.
He is seething with confidence that, together with his full board—which includes Vice Chairman Morris Chinogwira, Secretary general Griffith Rangwani, Treasurer Josam Jarnet, and committee members Stephen Paswani and Edward Mutiro—they are going to considerably transform the fortunes of cue sport in the country.