Author: MBONILE BURTON
AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIA Basketball Federation (TBF) has ordered all affiliated regional associations, to adhere to all Covid-19 health safety guideline protocols, as the league are set to resume this month.
TBF president Phares Magesa said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the leagues that were halted mid-March this year due to coronavirus pandemic will soon restart, so as to allow other programmes to roll on.
He said that to ensure everything is going on well; They have started with awareness campaign to all stakeholders for them to be ready for the league actions.
The president noted that they conducted such campaigns so as to ensure basketball remains the safe place for players, officials and fans to be.
“We have already started awareness campaign that we conduct through online. We started with coaches, referees and followed with regional association’s officials and other stakeholders, we are doing all of that just to make sure everyone remains safe,” he said.
Magesa said: “We want to inform all association’s that everything is clear and that they can prepare to start leagues after the government cleared sports activities to restart.”
Magesa added that regions were given June to August to finish their league and Zonal competitions, before the National Basketball League (NBL), organised by TBF take centre stage in September.
According to him, all basketball activities should stop in October, to give room for country’s General Election.
“Our calendar of activities will continue again with Taifa Cup competition and they may stage one end of the year event in December,” he noted.
Magesa stated that there will be several international assignments in between, which teams should prepare well for battle. However, he said this will depend on the situation of coronavirus pandemic in other countries.
He said that among them are national Under- 18 boys and girls, who will take part at the Zone V competition for the continental qualifications.
“National senior women team will also be competing in the AfroBaset Zone Five, the qualifications of African Championship,” he said.
He thanked the government for allowing sports to return to normal and appealed for all stakeholders not let the government down. He insisted that all Covid-19 preventive measures should be observed by players, officials and fans turning up to watch the game and also during practices.
