AfricaPress-Tanzania: VIGILANCE is a must in the recently renewed efforts by Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA) to revive the grassroots level development programmes that target to bring the game to its glorious past.
We laud the TCA for this initiative which proves its commitment to upgrade cricket standard so that Tanzania can march with neighbours Kenya and Uganda who are classed higher at the continental and global levels.
We insist on vigilance because TCA had similar projects two decades ago which sports enthusiasts labeled an exemplary, but as years went by the sport became redundant until very recently when the present leadership took over.
TCA needs to take up cricket development at grassroots level seriously if the association wants the sport to reclaim its lost glory and in near future, but it must also ensure cricket becomes among sports played in either Inter-Primary School Games (Umitashumta) or Inter-Secondary School Games.
As well, we would like to advise the cricket governing body and its associates to prepare a cricket curriculum which can be used by sports teachers, who will run grassroots level projects.
From here on, TCA and the entire cricket fraternity have to remain focused on development while keeping sorting out all that impeded the projects some years back.
We believe that the past TCA leadership didn’t do one or two things right. Selection of teams and hiring of coaches are some of the aspects that the present leadership TCA has considered.
The TCA has already hired a good coach; Steve Tikolo from Kenya, where cricket is at an enviable level.
To achieve the goal TCA must invest in cricket development on young talents who will help to strengthen the national team in future, but this can’t be achieved if the projects are not properly implemented.
We end up insisting that investing in young talents is very vital as it is the foundation of any sport in the world, as they have the opportunity to learn, understand and become better.
We as cricket stakeholders want to read success stories and not on series defeats who our teams suffered in the international tournaments.
