By Desire Tshuma
Harare – Leading financial services institution Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe is the headline sponsor of The Carnival Cup this year, backing what is billed as the oldest sporting trophy still competed for in Zimbabwe.
The tournament will be held this Saturday, 18July 2026, at Thornpark Polo Grounds.
Harare Polo Club Captain Matthew Moxon said the Cup was first played for in 1897 and has run consistently since 1965, with only 2020 and 2021 missed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Other editions were held in 1904, 1908, 1909, 1930, 1946, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1958-61, and annually from 1965 to date.
“We would like to thank Stanbic Bank for coming on board to sponsor and keep this tournament going! This helps preserve the history and heritage of our sport in Zimbabwe,” Moxon said.
Eight teams will compete across four divisions. To tie the sport to the sponsor, teams have taken names aligned to Stanbic Bank’s product offerings: Private Banking, Offshore, StanPay, Stanbic Bank Visa Card, Pure Save Account, Africa China Trade, Insurance, and Blue 247.
Stanbic Bank Head of Brand and Marketing Tariro Memo said the sponsorship reflects the bank’s wider community role beyond banking.
“While it is a fact that Stanbic bank offers some of the best banking products in Zimbabwe, we have a soft spot for propping up our communities through well thought out CSI initiatives in areas such as health and sanitation; the environment; education and sport, hence our support for the Carnival Cup,” Memo said.
She added that as a Standard Bank Group subsidiary, Stanbic was proud to associate with a tournament whose heritage dates back more than a century.
Moxon said polo in Zimbabwe is smaller than 40 years ago but has been growing again, particularly at Harare Polo Club, with sponsorships like Stanbic’s helping to sustain it. He noted the club’s focus is on growing participation and using events like the Carnival Cup to introduce new people to the sport.
“‘As a club we are excited about this new partnership with Stanbic Bank and the Carnival Cup. We look forward to many more years ahead together as we continue this historic heritage of our country,” Moxon said.
Attention will be on the A-Division, which features most of the Zimbabwe national team players set to compete internationally in the coming weeks, including in Kenya. Moxon tipped Murray Whaley as a player to watch after he was named Most Valuable Player at several tournaments this season. He also highlighted up-and-coming juniors aged 11 and 12 in the lower divisions.
“The trophy itself is exceptionally beautiful and holds a place of honor within the club, standing as one of its most treasured and enduring symbols of history and tradition,” Moxon said.
Equestrian sports, including polo, are unique in that men and women compete on equal terms. Polo is also played right-handed only, with all players required to hold the mallet in their right hand — a rule that sees even left-handed players learn to play right-handed.
With a history stretching back 129 years and new corporate backing in place, The Carnival Cup returns this weekend as both a showcase of Zimbabwe’s sporting heritage and a platform for the next generation of players.