THE year 2019 has been a period of success, failures and challenges and when 2020 dawned, many hope and pray that it be a time for better and more success in sports.The year that was, 2019, like the year before, 2018, the country did not excel much in sports.
Perhaps, the only few achievements Tanzanians can talk of having achieved then was the national team, Taifa Stars’ qualifying in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt for the first time after almost 30 years.
Simba also had a successful campaign in 2018/2019 CAF Champions League, in which they reached the quarterfinals, for the first time since 2003, before being bundled out by Congolese side TP Mazembe.
Tanzanian boxer Hassan Mwakinyo beat Arnel Tinampay of the Philippines on points in an entertaining international non-title bout in Dar es Salaam. All these were positives.However, there were no success stories to write for Under-17 football team, Serengeti Boys.
The hosts Serengeti Boys embarrassingly bowed out of the 2019 Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals, following a run of three defeats in group stages of the tournament.
Whether it was in athletics, netball, basketball or football, the song was the same, defeats after defeats and our athletes continued, as usual, to come up with a series of excuses.
It only suggests that the country sports’ standard is below satisfaction and there is urgent need for improvement.
It is high time we should implement new prompt and innovative plans that would sustainably change the state of the sports sector.
The country needs to work, for the 2020 year, which is a year of Tokyo Olympic Games. We need to develop a detailed system to identify and select talented youngsters.
Sports associations and the government should launch more big sports events around the country to create a sporting culture and as platforms to find new talents.
In fact, all our sports associations from football to athletics and from netball to basketball, from hockey to cricket, you name it, need to sit down and plan for next ten years.
Finally, the government in collaboration with sports associations and other stakeholders must upgrade the sports facilities and infrastructures in all regions.In order to do so, they must also raise and allocate enough funds to the councils in the country.
