Rhinos control
national rugby squad
By Burton Brown, Arusha
Players from Tanzanian National Rugby Champions, Rhinos of Arusha dominate the
selection for the Tanzania national rugby squad picked over the weekend in
Arusha. The team will represent the country in various regional and
international events scheduled for this year.
According to the list released by the national team coach and manager, Tinus
Aucamp, the Rhinos contribute 15 players to the squad followed by Dar Leopards
with 8 players. Moshi Kilicats have only one player in the team.
Led by veteran player, Tom Lithgow, other players from Rhinos include Jeremy
Stephenson, Ake Lindstrom, John Lloyd, Daniel Moore, Paul Olivier, Quantin
Beukes and Chris Parker. Others are ‘Tight Head Prop’ Juma, Mark Baker, Mike
Beckner, Dominyk Lever, Emanuel Motta, Tom Halloran and Wes Gold.
From Dar Leopards come Jay Njwelige, Dimitri Fiorentinos, Alpha Maduhu, Jason
Bergman, Anton Gufler, Robert Njedje, Matt Febrey and Andrew Edmondson.
From Moshi Kilicats, Ben Wiggens has been picked.
Aucamp said Tanzania is set to face four other African countries in the coming
international matches: Rwanda, Burundi, Mauritius and Namibia.
This year’s rugby calendar also includes Tanzania’s participation in the Super
16 Rugby Championship. The venue is yet to be announced.
Savio prepare
for Union Basketball title
By Burton Brown
Tanzania’s National Basketball League champions, Savio are
continuing to prepare for the Union Basketball league, scheduled for April 4 in
Dar es Salaam.
The Express paid a visit to the team’s training court at Don Bosco, Upanga in
Dar es Salaam and found the team having daily training sessions.
The team’s veteran player, Michael Mwita, said the players’ commitment to the
training was thanks to the team’s excellent performance in the national
basketball league held in Tanga last month.
However, Mwita said that losing their Kili RBA League title last year also
forced them to work extra hard to make sure that it does not happen again.
“I am sure Savio will clinch the union title this year from the way we are
trying for the event. We have only to beat Vijana and JKT in order to win the
title. These two teams, however, will not pose much danger to us after our good
training,” he said.
Savio ended third overall in last year’s Kili RBA League.
Key players in the team include George Tarimo, Jije Makani, Henry Mwinuka, John
Kitula, and Michael Mwita, the team’s top scorer.
Dar to stage
Easter Monday Athletics meet
By Joyce Macha
Tanzania’s top athletes will meet in an Easter Athletics event scheduled for
Easter Monday, March 28 at the National Stadium, Dar es Salaam.
Organised by Dar es Salaam Amateur Athletics Association (DAAA), the event is
one of the major sporting competitions organised to motivate the growth of the
sport.
The official from DAAA, Iddi Muhunzi said all the events scheduled to take place
would be middle distance road races and open to Dar es Salaam residents and
others from outside the region.
Muhunzi said the organisers failed to stage other disciplines like 100m and 200m
sprinting, and field events like javelin, short put and discus due to the
absence of the field after the closure of the National Stadium for major
renovations.
He said 4km, 5km and 10km races will be run outdoors covering the areas around
the National Stadium, Mandela and Kilwa roads in Temeke Municipality.
Also invited to participate are disabled athletes whose winners will receive
special prizes from the event’s organisers and sponsors.
Among the notable athletes expected to participate are: Samson Ramadhan, Kulwa
Lushanga and Felix Chunga from Ngome, athletes from Operation Ikangaa and
Operation Nyambui.
National Rally
in Z’bar this weekend
By Joyce Macha
The second National Rally Championship (NRC) is set for this weekend in
Zanzibar, featuring drivers from Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Tanga.
According to the Chairman of Zanzibar Motor Sports Club (ZMSC), Mussa Tharia,
the cars will be scrutinised on Saturday ahead of the main event on Sunday,
March 27.
According to Tharia, the event has been set to cover all regions of Zanzibar, so
as to enable as many spectators as possible to watch the cars.
Tharia said the African House Hotel would be the starting point, before the cars
speed up north to Kizimbani Inn for the first competitive section.
The first leg of the competitive section will see the cars off from Kizimbani to
go to Kwebona, covering 39km.
The second leg will take cars from Service Park to Miembe Miwili, for the
competitive section which climaxes at Kwarara, covering 36km.
The third section repeats the first leg from Kizimbani Inn to Kwebona while the
fourth leg will repeat the second section, starting from Miembe Miwili to
Kwarara.
Zanzibari teams in Tusker Cup?
By Burton Brown
For the first time, football teams from Zanzibar have the chance to be included
in the 2005 Tusker Cup tournament destined for kick off in June.
For years, Zanzibari teams have been banned from taking part in any tournament
sponsored by any brands of alcohol, as it is contrary to the tradition of the
majority of the Isle’s inhabitants.
Confirming the Tusker Cup tournament, Marketing Manager of Tusker, Gasper Lyaruu
told The Express that Zanzibari teams would be allowed to participate in the
event if they succeeded in winning the confidence of the public, who nominate
the teams to compete in the tournament.
The participants in the tournament are selected from nominations sent in by
consumers of Tusker, through coupons found on the beer bottles.
The 2005 edition of Tusker Cup is expected to kick off June 11 at CCM Kirumba
Stadium featuring four teams from Tanzania and two teams from Kenya and Uganda.
Media houses in Easter Sports
Bonanza
By Burton Brown
Tanzania’s media houses will face each other in a two-day Easter
Sports Bonanza this weekend at TPDC Ground, Mikocheni in Dar es Salaam.
Jointly organized by West Consult and Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL), the
competitions start on Sunday.
Media houses that have confirmed their participation include Habari Corporation,
IPP Media, Mwananchi Communication Limited, Business Times and Africa Media
Group.
Other firms that will take part include Barclays Bank, Stanbic, CRDB, Standard
Chartered Bank, Clouds Entertainment, DT Doobie and TBL. Teams from Vodacom and
Celtel will also take part alongside the Japanese and Italian embassies.
Soccer, a sack race and a tug of war will be the major events.
TOC donates
gear to refugees
By Boogie Juma
The Tanzanian Olympic Committee (TOC) has donated sports gear worth
Tsh. 8 million to the United Nation's High Commission for Refugees, (UNHCR), to
be used for the development of certain sports in the refugees’ camps.
The hand-over ceremony of the gear took place on Monday at the new TOC Offices
along Mwinjuma Road, in Dar es Salaam. The Secretary General of TOC, Filbert
Bayi presented the gear to the Associate External Relations Officer of UNHCR,
Mia Bulow Olsen.
TOC has donated 10 handballs, 150 footballs for kids, 10 volleyballs, 15
footballs, 10 basketballs, 15 table tennis balls, 10 netballs, 10 volleyball
nets, 2 football nets, 10 table tennis nets and 12 skipping ropes.
The UNHCR officer thanked TOC for the donation and promised to distribute the
gear amongst the refugee camps in the western and northern regions of Tanzania.
“It will be effectively distributed to the refugees in their camps found in
Rukwa, Kigoma and Kagera regions,” said Olsen.
The TOC Secretary General said that the donation represented the joint efforts
of TOC and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to develop sports in their
various aspects worldwide.
Meanwhile the former national 1,500m record holder, Mwinga Mwanjala, will
present the Queen’s Relay baton to President Benjamin Mkapa, on June 10. Sheri
Khamisi will do the same for President Amani Karume, in the Isles, the following
day.
Mwasora heads table tennis
tourney
By Joyce Macha
Tanga’s top player, Malick Mwasora, will lead his team in the
Makerere Open Table Tennis tournament that starts tomorrow in Kampala, Uganda.
According to Rajen Doshi, Secretary General of Tanga Region Table Tennis
Association (TRTTA), Mwasora is one of the five stars picked to represent the
region in the event.
The team has been in intensive training for the last three months under
coach/chairman Ally Matata.
Doshi said the team was scheduled to leave by bus for Kampala today ahead of the
tournament.
Other players in the list include Seif Seif, and Zulfiker Somji, while Monica
and Sofia will constitute the women’s team.
The tournament has been organised by the Makerere University Sports and Games
Union in collaboration with Fotogenix Limited and Uganda Table Tennis
Association.
The event will take place at the University main hal1, drawing together teams
from different schools and clubs.
Eleven teams
in TCA Cricket tourney
By Boogie Juma
Eleven teams have confirmed their participation in the inaugural Tanzania
Cricket Association (TCA) League scheduled to commence April 2 at Annadil Burhan
oval, Dar es Salaam.
According to the latest information from the Chairman of TCA, Zulfikar
Rehemtullah, the league will involve teams featuring both A and B sides from
various regions of Tanzania.
The Chairman said the biggest attraction in the forthcoming league would be the
participation of Morogoro, who will make their debut in the league thanks to a
nationwide campaign by TCA to motivate the growth of the sport.
The division A teams in the league include Ekta, Union, Aga Khan, Annadil Burhan
and TCA Development team.
In division B league the six teams that have been named are the TCA Development
team from Morogoro, Ekta B. Union B, Aga Khan B, Dar es Salaam, TCA B, Union B
and Union Veteran.
Meanwhile, TCA Development coach, Paul Manyanda said the mistakes that led to
his team’s double defeat at Dar Gymkhana in the final matches of Mwalimu Nyerere
Cricket tourney, will not be repeated this time, and assured his team’s fans of
victories in the forthcoming TCA's League.
Rhinos clinch
the title
By Express Reporter, Arusha
Dar es Salaam Leopards suffered a humiliating defeat by Arusha Rhinos in the
First Division Rugby League title match.
The title holders for two consecutive years, Rhinos, beat Dar Leopards 51-10 in
the final match of the League over the weekend at ISM ground, Arusha.
Jay Njwelige, one of the key players for Dar Leopards, told The Express that
lack of serious training had hampered the players from a good performance. The
team found it difficult to respond to the series of attacks mounted by the
Rhinos.
“They (Rhinos) are not in a position to bag us over 50 points, beating us both
at home and away. We have to do something and do it fast, or else our reputation
as Tanzania’s best rugby team will disappear,” he said.
The former Dar captain, David Tarimo, said his team failed to train properly
because many key players could not attend due to office commitments.
Some of the players who failed to travel to Arusha include Harry Tiruhungwa,
Chris Hanlin, Amani Abdul, Simon England and Stanley.
In the match, Rhinos managed to convert tries through Wes Lind who scored the
first, John Lloyd bagged the second, while veteran player Tom Lithgow scored a
third try to put Rhinos in the lead, 15-0, before half time.
Dar es Salaam Leopards scored 10 points through Michael Geridard and Simon
Royce, who scored a try each in the second half.
Rhinos extended their lead thanks to Josh Peterson who scored the fourth try,
with a conversion of a try taken by Dan Nicholson. Nicholson scored the fifth
try and a minute later added two more points. Paul Oldfield scored the sixth
try.