U17 team vow to make it in
Zimbabwe
By Burton Brown
Tanzania’s National Under 17 Team Coach, Abdallah Kibadeni has assured
Tanzanians that the absence of the team’s key player, Yusuf Mgwao will not
affect his team’s winning spirit in Zimbabwe this weekend. Kibadeni told The
Express that Mgwao was suffering from a shoulder injury he sustained when
Serengeti Boys played in a build up match against Zanzibar’s Under 20 National
team last weekend.
“The squad has many good players and Mgwao’s gap can easily be filled with other
good players,” said the Coach.
Kibadeni said his boys were in a high spirit to win the aggregate match against
the hosts Zimbabwe in Harare this weekend and that Tanzanians should expect
victory from the boys.
Tanzania trounced Zimbabwe 3-1 in the first match held at the National Stadium
two weeks ago. Omari Matuta was the star player after scoring two out of the
three goals for Serengeti Boys.
Serengeti Boys need a draw of any kind or can allow a 0-1 defeat to pass the
Zimbabwean hurdle to reach the finals in Gambia.
Before meeting Zimbabwe, Serengeti Boys ousted Zambia after winning 2-1 in
Lusaka and a 2-0 win in Dar es Salaam.
Tanzania’s African Rally route
announced
By Joyce Macha
The Rally Commission of Tanzania has released the routes to be used by drivers
when Tanzania stages the first edition of African Rally Championship February,
12 and 13 in Dar es Salaam.
Much of the route will repeat that General Tyre Rally of Tanzania staged in
July, 2004 as a candidate event.
The Convenor of Rally Commission of Tanzania, Arif Ahmed said both competitive
and transport sections of the rally would remain like that of the General Tyre,
except for the few sections in the second day leg.
Ahmed mentioned the inclusion of the Chanika-Masaki Route in the second day leg
as the only major change to be seen in the forthcoming rally.
He said as in the last year’s rally, cars would start at the New Africa Hotel
heading to Chanika where the day one first section is scheduled to begin.
From Chanika cars will cruise to Masaki to complete the first leg. The first day
second leg starts at Kazimzumbwi and climaxes at Maneromango after passing
Mzenga while the third section is scheduled to start at Kisura and wind up at
Masaki Service Park.
Fourth leg of day one competition will see cars off at Kazimzumbwi and finish at
Mtamba to complete their four-leg day one event.
The day two event is set to commence at Chanika and end up at Masaki while
Kazimzumbwi-Maneromango will host the second leg. Kisura-Masaki will be used for
the third leg and the final leg is planned to start at Kazimzumbwi and climax at
Mtamba.
Until this week more than 12 drivers from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia,
Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa have confirmed their participation.
Robby Chada hits triple success
By Joyce Macha
Robby Chada, the Arusha Twiga player starred the 2005 Mapinduzi Cup hockey
tournament, when he inspired his team to win this year’s trophy with a superb
performance.
The player scored 9 goals out of the 15 his team recorded in the five-match solo
run to the championship.
Chada, who partnered with Jamil Shabhai and Kaizar Fakhrudin, managed to reduce
TPDF into pulps after thrashing the Army men 3-0 in the tough final held last
Sunday at Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club ground.
Chada said he was happy that he scored vital goals for his team and praised his
team’s fighting spirit through out the tournament.
“I am fascinated with this tournament and I promise to back similar event next
year,” said Chada, best scorer of the tournament and also a sponsor of the
tournament.
Twiga, unbeaten in their recent performances, had a tough start as TPDF stood
firm in the first half and allowed no ball behind their net.
The second half saw Arusha boys changing their tactics into more effective ones.
They managed to force TPDF into defensive for a long time until Kaizar Fakhrudin
changed the matter in the 10th minute with a beautiful goal.
Jamil Shabhai scored the second goal three minutes later when TPDF defenders
failed to stop the long pass that caught the scorer who released a powerful shot
into the net.
Fakhrudin was on the mark again in the 25th minute after getting a pass that
initiated from the short corner.
Banking on their experienced players such as George Mathew, Kazi Ally and Alfred
Mapile, TPDF pressed hard for a consolation goal, but they could not pass the
tight defense of Arusha boys.
Abdallah stars in Mwl. Nyerere
Cricket tourney
By Boogie Juma
Hamisi Abdallah of Tanzania Cricket Association Development team has led his
team to a lead in the ongoing Mwalimu Nyerere Cricket tournament taking place in
various venues in Dar es Salaam.
The young player has so far posted 250 runs in five matches making his mark the
half-century average score.
The player has also claimed eight wickets to make him the most illustrious
player produced by the TCA backed grassroots level development project involving
primary school pupils.
According to the Chairman of Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA), Zully
Rehemtulla, Abdallah is currently the best cricket player who owns everything a
good cricket player should..
Second in list of impressive performances is Taher Jiwajee of Annadil Burhani A
who has managed to record 180 runs, while Benson Mwita of TCA Development team
is in third placed with 160 runs.
Mwita is currently one of the best wicket keepers in the country.
The 2005 edition of Nyerere Cup Cricket tournament resumes this weekend when TCA
lock horns with Union A. The match could not take place as scheduled last
weekend due to the maintenance work at the venue, Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club
ground.
Prisons’ court case torments
TFF bosses
By Burton Brown
The leaders of Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) are reported to be in a
struggle to persuade Prisons to abandon their case brought to the court
protesting against the decision to give the third place prize of Vodacom Premier
to Dar Young Africans.
An Express survey found that TFF is struggling against the case brought by
Prisons aiming to maintain the harmony among the clubs and the main sponsors.
If left to proceed, the case might disrupt the good start of the newly elected
TFF committee, with the fear that the sponsors may back out.
The Second Vice Chairman of TFF, Ismail Aden Rage and the member of TFF
Executive Committee, Jamal Bayser visited the Headquarters of the Tanzania
Prisons Department, and held a 45 min talk with department’s Head of Sports,
Twalib Twalib.
The news obtained from the meeting said TFF asked Prisons to withdraw their case
and conduct a lengthy talk with TFF outside the court.
To TFF dismay, Prisons officials maintained their stance saying they could not
change the decision since it was under the supreme body of the Prisons
department.
However, Twalib Twalib refuted that the club had taken the matter to court but
that it had only objected the third prize going to Dar es Salaam Young Africans.
Midfield maestro stains
Simba’s victory
By Burton Brown
It seems as if the successful start of Simba’s Christopher Alex is ending as he
committed a foul in the first half of the match against visiting Gormahia from
Kenya. The booking probably obstructed the obvious big win Simba could have
recorded.
The player tackled from behind Issaya Omondi of Gormahia in the 35th minute and
was given a red card at a time when Simba was far ahead with two goals.
Alex, a midfield maestro who starred the Club’s successful season last year,
played in the first match under the new Coach, Trott Moloto who has been
recruited to train the Club in a one year contract.
Simba could reward their Coach with voluminous goals had it not been for Alex
being sent off. The match eventually ended with a 2-1 victory for Simba.
On top of the emphasis on adherence to discipline, coach Moloto has also to
improve the stamina of his players to enable them maintain the 90 minute vigour.
Simba played excellent football in the first 45 minutes but they could not
repeat the same vigour in the second half.
The 2-1 win was the first victory of the year for Msimbazi Street Club since,
and it was their ace striker, Athumani Machupa who starred the scoring galore.
Hockey sure to regain lost
glory
By Joyce Macha
The newly elected committee of Tanzania Hockey Association (THA) has said the
nationwide campaign of the Association to retain the sport’s stronghold in
Tanzania is fast closing on its desired goal.
Hockey, once a sport that produced Olympians for Tanzania, began to lose its
popularity in Tanzania in the late seventies and has almost faded out of the
scene.
The new Chairman of THA, Shakir Badrudin told The Express this week that having
leaders from all regions of Tanzania was part of the strategies earmarked to
give hockey equal development in all parts of Tanzania.
He said there have been many new hockey teams formed in both Tanzania Mainland
and the Isles, and all of them are determined to end the long runs of the old
teams in the major hockey tournaments.
Citing an example, Badrudin named Magereza (Prisons), Tegeta Secondary School,
Makongo, Youthful TPDF A and B as the good examples of the future stars of the
hockey.
THA General Election also elected Kaushik Doshi of Tanga as Vice Chairman and
Yusuf Jusabani as their Secretary General.
The Association’s Treasurer post went to Rizwan Fazal, the former Chairman of
THA.
The list of committee members includes Naim Dawoodbhai, Hatim Anjari, Saidi
Nguvumali, Alfred Mapile, Monu Singh and Nitu Singh.
6m/- needed for VW World Table
Tennis
By Boogie Juma
Tanzania Table Tennis Association (TTTA) need Tsh. six million to enable the
national table tennis team to participate in the Volkswagen World Championship
to be held in Beijing, China from April 30 to May 6, this year.
The TTTA Chairman, Ayn Shariff said funding was urgently needed to meet the cost
of sending two players and a coach to Beijing.
According to Shariff, part of the said amount would foot return tickets for the
players’ allowances and training camp for the players ahead of their departure.
“We have received an invitation letter from the International Table Tennis
Federation (ITTF) requesting us to send two players to World Championship as
part of the scheme to promote the sport in the low level countries, Tanzania
included,” he said.
He furthermore revealed that TTTA had already picked top seeded players to
undergo intensive training at Kisutu Primary School, Dar es Salaam under the
Chief Coach, Issa Mtalaso in a readiness for the event.
Shariff said it would be the first time for the Tanzania team to have
representatives in the world table tennis event.
Banali
set to lead TZ women cricket to success in Nairobi
By Joyce Macha
Tanzania Women Cricket team has assured Tanzanians that they will again clinch
the African title in the continental Championship to be held early next month in
Nairobi, Kenya.
The team captain, Aneth Banali told The Express that their effective training
going on at Muhimbili Cricket Academy for more than three weeks now, would help
them forge their way to the second victory in the Africa Cricket Championship to
be held from February, 5 to 9 in the Kenyan capital.
The team will leave for Nairobi on February, 3.
The tournament will bring together women cricket teams from all over Africa
including the East African giants, Uganda, Zambia and the hosts Kenya.
The chairman of the Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA), Zully Rehemtulla told
The Express that the team was in a good shape and was looking forward to retain
their title for the second time.
In East Africa, Tanzanian Cricket Youth Teams have a good history of
performance. In year 2003, girls’ category emerged the overall winners in the
Under-18 East Africa youth competition held in Kampala, Uganda.
Again last year, the girls won the trophy in the Africa women cricket
championship held in Dar es Salaam by triumphing Ugandans in the final match at
the Annadil Burhan ground.