General Tyre Rally finally takes
off
By Miguel Suleyman
Tanzania will stage the General Rally of Tanzania, an edition of Africa Rally
Championship this weekend in Dar es Salaam.
The Convenor of Rally Commission of Tanzania, Arif Ahmed, said all necessary
arrangements are done and the drivers are reported to be preparing fervently for
Tanzania’s sole international event.
This reporter’s detailed survey of the Chanika-Masaki route,
Kazimzumbwi-Maneromango and Kisura-Masaki sections, found a number of drivers
combing the sections to prepare their cars for the big event.
Ahmed said, “Masaki Service Park is complete and is of international standards
as per the regulations of the governing body (FIA).”
With the exception of the winner of the inaugural event of African Rally
Championship in 2001, Pat Comtois, all the five top finishers have been included
in the list of this year’s event.
Davinder Sahota Pagal, who was the runner up in the earlier event, is among the
top contenders for this year’s title chase.
But Nahdi Shanto, who was forced to retire in the last stage of the previous
race, told The Express that he hoped to make it in this international rally.
“I have brought in a new car, Subaru Impreza of Group N class; it is fast and a
reliable machine to bank upon. I think I will make it this time,” he declared.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Huwel and Saleh Balhabou said this weekend, the big event will
be solely a war between homologated cars and Group S vehicles though the
selected routes seemed to favour the former.
“Let us wait and see who emerges the winner, between us and them,” said Ahmed
Huwel, Iringa driver, who ended eighth in the 2001 event.
Hussein Yusuf, who ended fourth in 2001, had not submitted his name until
Wednesday. However his compatriots, Gamdust Haji, Gamsherd Gamdust, Khalid
Kassam, and Amarjit Dhillon Sunvic, are sure to test their driving skills this
weekend.
The chief organiser of the event, Arif Ahmed, said the official flag off would
take place at the New Africa Hotel at 8 a.m., allowing the cars to start the
first leg which is set to finish at the same venue around 5 p.m.
Serengeti boys, Twiga Stars
expose FAT flaws
By Lina Lorentz
Two international matches involving two national sides were played over the
weekend at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam; the games left a lot to talk
about.
On Saturday, the boy’s under–17 team met their Rwandan counterparts and on
Sunday Tanzania’s women team played Zimbabwe, both in African Cup preliminary
round qualifiers.
The match on Saturday saw Serengeti Boys beating the visitors 1-0 to qualify for
the next stage on 2-1 aggregate win, while the ladies faced a comprehensive
defeat, losing 3-0 in a game which could easily have ended in twice as many
goals for the Zimbabweans.
It seems as if it does not make any difference which teams are playing; Dar es
Salaamites are eager to show up at the ground and support their teams. However,
the conditions surrounding the match on Sunday were below international
standards.
Despite the presence of FAT Chairman, Muhidin Ndolanga with his entourage, as
well as Mama Maria Nyerere and the Minister of Sport Juma Kapuya, the organisers
failed to let the crowd sing along to the national anthem. The Zimbabwean team
and its supporters were also robbed of hearing their anthem being played.
“These guys are not serious,” commented Hemed Issa referring to the sound
technicians. “When I was here yesterday (Saturday) the anthems were played
without any technical problems. It all seems to be in a shambles.”
Issa was watching the match together with his friends who regularly come to see
local teams play and of course the national teams. When asked what he thought of
the colour of the jerseys the Tanzanians wore (white), he admitted that he had
never seen them play in this colour before. “Men’s team always wear the colours
in the national flag but for women, there is no consistency what- so-ever,” he
observed.
The tickets to the women’s match were more expensive than the match on Saturday.
Tickets cost up to Tsh. 3,000, which perhaps explained why the crowd was
slightly smaller than the day before.
Knock-outs at Dar Boxing league
By Burton Brown
Makongoro Nyerere Senior was forced to come to his son Makongoro Junior’s rescue
when he threw in the towel, and save him from the granite punches of his
opponent Fabian Gaudence of JKT Mgulani at the ongoing Dar Boxing League matches
held over the weekend at Vijana Social Hall, Dar es Salaam.
The Hall also housed another close, thrilling bout between Aaron Abbas of
Mgulani, who beat Iman Yasini of Immigration in fly weight, before Dickson
Thomas of Immigration accomplished an easy win over Omar Urugu of Kawe, who
skipped the fight.
Referee Makore Mashaga had to intervene to save Rajabu Jumanne from further
punishment in the third round from the killer punches of Modest Rashid in the
middle weight.
Other bouts of the weekend were between Ramadhani Rashid of Kawe Junior, who
beat Bonaz Samwel of Immigration, and Ramadhani Omar of JKT Mgulani, who
outplayed Rashid Saidi of Mabibo by 3-0 in the feather weight, while Paul
Bundala of Mabibo beat Tigi Iddi of Kawe Junior 2-1 in lightwelter.
Other bouts at the event featured Dotto Thomas of Immigration, who punished
Rahrani Omari of Mabibo in welter weight, while Seif Rizo of Mgulani JKT beat
Hemedi Danda of Kawe by 2-1.
The League resumes July 17 at the DDC Keko Hall in Group D and that will be the
end of first round of the new boxing league.
Giants lure U17 players
By Burton Brown
Tanzanian soccer giants, Simba and Young Africans, are reported to have started
a campaign to snatch some players of Tanzanian U17 team, Serengeti Boys, who
played impressively in their match against Rwanda over the weekend.
The Dar es Salaam-based archrivals sent their talent scouts at the National
Stadium and this reporter found them struggling to pinpoint all the players who
showed remarkable skills on the ground.
Simba SC announced after the match that the club had managed to recruit Yusuf
Mgwao and Nurdin Bakari while their archrivals, Young Africans said they were
chasing Jumanne Bakari.
However, soccer pundits had reservations about the talent scouting exercise.
Some fans told The Express that the two teams were pillars of destruction of
young talents; therefore, FAT should stop the clubs from taking players in the
team.
“The players are too young to judge the offers. I think for now they have to be
left to concentrate on the national team until later when they are fully
matured,” said Ahmed Mzimu of Temeke.
Olympic camp fortified
By Express Reporter
Three top athletes reported at the training camp on Tuesday in readiness for the
Athens Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, later next month.
Long-time stars Fabian Joseph and John Yuda (10,000), who have been training in
Kenya, are the medal hopes. They arrived to add life in the training camp in
Arusha, where the Olympic team are training.
The middle distance trackstar, Samuel Mwera, is the third athlete who confirmed
to join the Arusha camp this week.
The Italy-based runner won Tanzania gold medal in the All Africa Games held in
Abuja last year and later added bronze medal in Afro-Asian Games, all in 800m.
According to Filbert Bayi, the Secretary General of Tanzania Olympic Committee
(TOC), the camp is at Riadha Safari Lodge Camp in Arusha.
Other athletes already in the camp include marathoners Zebedayo Bayo, Samson
Ramadhan and Nada Saya, accompanied by two female runners, Restituta Joseph
(5,000) and Banuelia Mrashani (marathon).
Third defeat stuns Simba fans
By Burton Brown
Hemedi Matobango’s expertly taken spot kick brought about the third defeat of
defending champions Simba, which lost 1-0 to Kahama United in the matches played
over the weekend in Shinyanga.
Simba, who are still towering over other Group A teams, suffered their third
defeat in the 70th minute from a penalty after Kahama United striker, Ally
Mrisho, fouled inside the danger zone.
The defeat worried Simba fans in Dar es Salaam ahead of the Super 8 stage of the
league, where their team is likely to meet archrivals Young Africans.
Ealier, Simba boys lost to Moro United 1-3 in their first leg tie May 15 at the
Jamhuri Stadium in Morogoro before taking another 0-1 beating from JKT Ruvu at
the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, two weeks ago.
The Club’s fans told The Express this week that ever since the Kenyan-born
coach, James Siang’a, left the Club, it had failed to keep their former form,
when the team reached the group phase of the African Club Championship last
year.
Tanzania U-20 team pull out
By Express Reporter
Lack of funds forced the Football Association of Tanzania (FAT) to pull out of
the Under-20 African Nations Cup tournament.
The Under-20 national soccer team was scheduled to play their first match
against Zimbabwe July 16 in Harare.
Explaining the reasons, the Secretary General of FAT, Michael Wambura, said FAT
decided to withdraw after the association failed to secure funds to prepare the
team.
“We have Tsh.18 million debt to settle and we do not know how to raise it after
the last weekend matches failed to earn us the amount we expected,” he said.
He added that FAT borrowed the amount to prepare the women’s national soccer
team, Twiga Stars, and the Under-17 soccer team, Serengeti Boys.
Wambura said that FAT had already notified Confederation of African Football
(CAF) about the pullout.
Diplomatic golf tomorrow
By Miguel Suleyman
The 18-hole Diplomatic Golf Tournament eventually tees off tomorrow at Dar es
Salaam Gymkhana Club, featuring more than 35 golfers.
The Consulate General of People’s Republic of Bangladesh and the coordinator of
the event said this week the tournament was organised to welcome Kenyan High
Commissioner Z.D Muburi Muita and the Korean Ambassador Soon Chun Lee.
He said the two diplomats would now become members of the club’s golfing
community.
According to Shariff, members of diplomatic missions based in Dar es Salaam are
eligible to play in the event, whose winners will be picked under stable ford
points system.
Shariff named the countries to be represented in the tournament as Canada,
Zambia, Russia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Korea, Switzerland, South Africa and
Bangladesh.
NBC-backed drivers ready to go
By Express Reporter
With heavy financial support from the National Bank of Commerce (NBC) Ltd,
Tanzania’s Omar Salum Bakhressa and Saleem Haji Bullet are confident of
excelling in the historic Africa Rally Championship, set for a flag off this
weekend.
“I am confident and looking forward to it,” said Saleem Haji, soon after raking
session at Pugu in Dar es Salaam.
An undergraduate university student Haji said for the first time he would be
driving a ‘Group N’ homologated car Mitsubishi Gallant, that assures him of
getting points in Africa’s seeding system.
Haji will go into rally with US$ 2,000 backing from NBC, which is part of US$
18,000 (Tsh. 20m) annual sponsorship by Tanzania’s leading bank.Also on the
stage is Omar Bakhressa, whose Subaru Impreza Group N car gives shivers to his
adversaries.
“It is a perfect stage to show that we Tanzanian drivers have what it takes to
compete with world class rally drivers,” said Bakhressa who enjoys a separate
US$ 23,000 (Tsh.26m) annual support from NBC.
Tanzania, Swazi in Super 16
opener
By Express Reporter
Tanzania’s National Rugby Team will open with hosts Swaziland in their Super 16
Rugby Tournament title chase in Mbabane, Swaziland, August 31.
Tanzania won a ticket to play in the regional rugby tournament after beating
Burundi and Rwanda in the qualifying matches held at Braeburn Ground, Arusha, in
May and June, respectively.
An official of the Tanzania Rugby Union (TRU) and the team’s coach, Tinus
Aucamp, said the team had trials in Nairobi before taking residential training
in Arusha in preparedness for Tanzania’s first continental mission.
According to Aucamp, 21 players who have been training in Arusha, will from
August 20 shift to Dar es Salaam where further training will take place, before
flying to Mbabane.
The TRU official said Tanzania would meet Botswana in their second match, also
to be played in Mbabane.
Relegation haunts Premier League
clubs
By Burton Brown
Vodacom Premier League reached its final stage this week with some teams in deep
relegation zone.
Pallsons of Manyara, Railway of Kigoma and Kariakoo of Lindi have already
relegated to the First division, after failing to play three consecutive
matches.
However, Tukuyu Stars of Mbeya are also haunted by relegation in the Group B.
The team has so far collected eight points.
On the other hand, Prisons of Mbeya are top in Group A, followed by Young
Africans, Police Dodoma and Majimaji of Ruvuma, while in Group B, Simba SC are
still leading followed by Moro United and Mtibwa Sugar, both of Morogoro.
Simba, who lost to Kahama United over the weekend, are sure of their place in
the Super eight league as are runners up Moro United and Mtibwa Sugar.
Kahama United are likely to join the other three teams if they maintain their
fourth position with more than 17 points they have collected so far.