Zanzibar all set to own rally
Club
By Joyce Macha
The Rally Commission of Tanzania has included Zanzibar in the AAT calendar of
2005 rally season, which opens with the Tanzanian edition of African Rally
Championship in February.
The calendar of Automobile Association of Tanzania(AAT) shows Zanzibar has given
March 2005 as the date of its inaugural edition of the National rally
Championship.
Mussa Tharia, the man who spearheaded the Zanzibar’s endeavour to stage motor
sports in the Isles said the plans are almost complete so that Zanzibar forms
its own motor sports club before the event takes place.
“We have support from members of the business class in Zanzibar and the
government officials. They are willing and love to see that sport fully
introduced in Zanzibar,” he said.
Tharia said once motor rally gets a stronghold in Zanzibar, Its likely to record
faster development and become international event faster than the well
established clubs in the country.
Kola Prieto to back National
basketball meet
By Burton Brown
The Management of Kora Prieto Hotel, Tanga has accepted the request
to back the National Basketball Championship on condition that the championship
takes place in the region.
The Hotel’s Director, Dr. Mzamuli Kalokola told The Express, the Hotel is ready
to help Tanzania Basketball Federation(TBF) stage the competition so long as the
basketball body requests them to do so.
Insisting Dr. Kalokola said as per tradition, once the hotel sponsors the
championship, it must take place in Tanga so that it becomes beneficial to its
people there.
Earlier planned to kick off in July 2004, National Basketball Championship could
not take place as planned when TBF failed to secure a sponsor to back the event.
“We could have saved the event if TBF had approached us. We have sponsored many
successful events in and outside Tanga,” he said.
According to Kalokola, Tanga basketball body contacted the Hotel Management to
seek sponsorship and the hotel management told them that they should have an
agreement with the federation before the sponsorship grant.
Kalokola said the national championship has lost its power in all major sports
in Tanzania. He said “But, it is very wrong to ignore them since they produce
most of the hidden talents for the nation’.
Trisha, Mwanyenza win Christmas
golf
By Express Reporter
Trisha Anthony paired with ace player, Hassan Mwanyenza to win Christmas
Greensome Golf tournament held on Monday at Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club course.
The duo fired 46 stable ford points to beat other 40 golfers participating in
the event.
“It was good tournament and my partnership with Trisha brought wonderful scores.
I think we deserved to win this tournament,” said Mwanyenza.
Another good performance could be seen from Ayne Magombe and Manraj Bharya who
teamed to clinch the runner up title from their beautiful score of 42 points.
However, the youthful duo had to bank on the countback to win the position after
tying on the same score with Jagminder Jandu and his Pritpal. The Jandus settled
at the second runner up position.
The tournament was staged as a farewell event to some members who will be
travelling away for the Christmas and the New Year celebrations elsewhere.
National Stadium construction
gets traditional launch
By Burton Brown
Chinese builders launched the start of construction of the Ultra Modern
Stadium on Monday in a strange tradition.
The Engineers from Hainan International from Dar es Salaam and experts from
China did traditional rituals to grace the construction work.
The Express reporter who witnessed the process saw two white goats being
sacrificed before the outburst of the fire cracks taking place at the site for
about five minutes.
The Express found later the remains of the meat being distributed to the workmen
at the construction site.
Until this week there were only seven construction experts at the site, but many
others to be accompanied with building materials are coming early next year.
Until this week, the various marks to show the map of the building site and the
workmen camps have been installed close to the site.
Pool tables in the city to be
registered by Dec 31
By Kizito Makoye
All pool tables in the country will now have to be registered by the
Gaming Board of Tanzania (GBT). Owners of pool tables in Dar will have to get
the registration by the end of this year. The licence fee has been decided to be
Tsh. 10,000 per year along with a registration fee of Tsh. 5,000, irrespective
of the number of tables an establishment has.
The registration exercise is in line with the Gaming Act which empowers the
Gaming Board of Tanzania to oversee, monitor and regulate the conduct of gaming
activities in the country.
“Our aim is to get all pool tables across the country registered although the
project initially starts with Dar es Salaam and Coast Regions,” said Board’s
Director General, Tarimba Abbas. It is estimated that there are about 3,000
tables in the country.
“We call upon pool table owners to come forward and register and obtain licences
for conducting such games, they are obliged to do so in accordance with section
52 and 53 of the law” he said, adding, “up country owners or operators will be
notified on how and where to register in due course.”
Meanwhile the Chairman of Pool Table players in Dar es Salaam, Chata Michael
said the government move to register the pool is a good move. “Our experience
shows that most people did not have confidence in this type of game, they did
not take it seriously provided that the table are mostly at Pubs and
entertainment places, but I think with the on going licensing process the future
is bright” he stressed.
Veteran boxer back on stage on
Christmas
By Burton Brown
Tanzania’s professional boxing veteran, Omari Yazidu is back on the
stage during the Christmas to face Ramadhani Simba Balozi at Hotel Karibu, Dar
es Salaam.
The much awaited non-title bout will be held in the Opium Additive Hall as part
of the Christmas celebrations.
The organizers of the bout from Tanzania Professional Boxing Commission (TPBC)
told The Express that Yazidu would lock horns with Balozi in a middleweight
category. According to the source, there will be also under-card bouts, in
which Saidi Chaku will face Ajibu Salum in TPBC backed Bantamweight fight. In
another development, Karibu Hotel Manager, Divesh Divecha said besides boxing
bouts, there would be fashion designers accompanied with music and other
entertainments.
Tanzania’s renowned fashion designer, Mustafa Hassanali will star the designing
stage with all go-go wear designs according to the manager. Hotel Karibu will be
venue of professional boxing henceforth, he said.
Tenga, Ndolanga vis a vis in
TFF presidency
By Express Team
Tanzania soccer scene passes into the new stage early next week when
52 aspirants lock horns in the General Election of Tanzania Football Federation
scheduled to take place in Dar es Salaam December 27.
The historical election will officially sign off failures of the Football
Association of Tanzania (FAT) to develop soccer in the country in the past three
decades.
The failure of FAT makes people opt for the former national team defender,
Leodgar Tenga a right choice for the presidential post, in which Ndolanga and
his Secretary General, Michael Wambura are vying for.
However, as The Express probe found later, the chase for the presidential title
is the hottest current issue at present.
Tenga: Tanzania’s most industrious player cum coach, soccer administrator
Though Tenga seemed to have huge support from the majority of Tanzanians well
informed of his credibility in the former success of the National team, Dar
Young Africans and Pan Africans, Ndolanga bank on the support from the delegates
who have spearheaded his twelve year stay in power.
Leodgar is one of the most respected Tanzanian sportsmen with superb record in
both national and club levels. Tenga was in the national team together with
Peter Tino, Mohamed Salim, Thuwein Ally and Jellah Mtagwa, which earned Tanzania
its first ticket to play in the finals of African National Soccer Championship,
held in Nigeria in 1980.
Besides Tenga was in Tanzania Mainland team which clinched East African Senior
Challenge Cup in 1975.
He inspired his two clubs, Dar Young Africans and Pan Africans in their various
successful missions from the year 1974 – 1982.
Alhaj Muhidin Ahmad Ndolanga; Former FAT Chairman
Very little is known about the soccer background of Muhidin Ndolanga rather than
his Chairmanship post in the Football Association of Tanzania (FAT)
He has served the Tanzanian body for twelve years in hard way. Several times,
Ndolanga has managed to suppress the campaign to oust him from the post in a
ruthless manner.
He used the long arm of the Federation of International Football Associations
(FIFA) to kill opposition. The tough measures under the wing of FIFA threatened
the country’s membership in the international soccer body.
Michael Wambura is also a common figure in the TFF election chase. He silently
campaigns for the Presidential post, but the campaigns are silenced by the
voluminous popularity of Ndolanga, Tenga supremacy.
Kariakoo
clinch 2004 Ismailia Soccer title
By Burton Brown
Kariakoo soccer team clinched the 2004 Ismailia Cup after trouncing Chang’ombe
3-0 in a thrilling final match held over the weekend at Dar es Salaam Gymkhana
Club ground.
It was Shafik Somji(Kabito) of Kariakoo who opened the goal feast in the 15th
minute when his powerful 25-metre shot went untouched at the far corner of
Chang’ombe goal.
Ten minutes later, Chang’ombe’s goal was in trouble once more. Aftab Pira added
a second goal after intercepting well a cross from Sameer Pira from the left
flank.
The teams went for a half time Kariakoo leading 2-0.
The second half saw Kariakoo taking the matter even more aggressively. The
series of raids at their opponent’s goal paid dividends in the 60th minute when
Hassanali Talib scored after outwitting the entire defence line of Chang’ombe.
It was one of the best goals of the tournament.
Five teams took part in the tournament, with the other teams being Upanga West,
Upanga East and Town team who were the defending champions.
UDSM Outsiders player wins
Adidas contract
By Express Reporter
UDSM Outsiders player, Hashim Thabit Manka won a contract with
leading sports gear manufacturers, Adidas.
Standing at 7.2, Hashim is currently the tallest player in the Kili RBA League.
Now 17, Hashim told The Express this week that the contract came in September
this year, but he was not ready to give much details on it.
According to Hashim, the contract has enabled the player to attend secondary
school education in Nairobi, Kenya as well as giving an opportunity to play for
Nairobi University in Kenya.
Hashim, who since September was seen dressed in clothes with Adidas emblem, said
he won the contract in Kenya when his team, Makongo Secondary School went there
to participate in the inter-school tournament.
“I went to Mombasa at the Makongo school where Adidas representatives were
attracted with my height and basketball skills and decided to offer me the
contract,” said the player who is now in Dar es Salaam for Christmas and the New
Year holidays.
He said he intended to travel back to Nairobi in early January 2005 to pursue
his studies there.