AfricaPress-Tanzania: ILEMELA District sports Officer Kizito Bahati ‘Sosho’ said the late President John Magufuli strongly encouraged accountability, transparency for sports officials at various levels.
“He brought respect to everything in our country, meaning those in the sports industry to be responsible and he was a very sad president when our national teams were performing badly,” Kizito said.
He said President Magufuli had managed to provide 1billion/- shillings for the preparation of AFCON for youths under the age of 17. He said president Magufuli was very helpful to the national team in reminding them of patriotism and fighting very hard all the time despite our national team losing in international assignments.
Kizito, the former player of the national basketball team also said that President Magufuli once gave 50 million shillings to the national football team.
He said the president also helped Mwanza’ s CCM Kirumba and Dodoma’s Jamhuri stadia to have been refurbished to a good standard. He said through the presidential policy of ‘Hapa Kazi Tu’ it built the capacity of various sports players to have the confidence to be able to fight whenever they are in various competitions.
Meanwhile, MWANZA Regional Basketball Association (MRBA) has said they have received with great sadness death of the fifth phase President, Dr John Magufuli who passed away on March 17th this year.
This was stated by the association secretary general Haidari Abdul. He said during President Magufuli’s regime basketball game in the country gained a lot of respect as well as the availability of sponsorship in the National cup tournament held last year in Dodoma.
He said without President Magufuli’s leadership basketball officials would not have been able to secure sponsorship. He also said that under his leadership they have managed to build two basketball bases in the Mirongo court located at Nyamagana District and Sabasaba in Ilemela Ward.
For his part, the President of the Tanzania Basketball Federation (TBF) Phares Magesa said president Magufuli had a plan to build an indoor stadium in Dodoma. He has asked the government leaders to help achieve the goals of President Magufuli by finding donors to achieve the goals of construction of various stadiums and basketball courts.
“Many courts have been built, especially in various regions including Simiyu at Bariadi District under the support of Simiyu Regional Commissioner Antony Mtaka. In Manyara and Ngarenaro Arusha, Courts have been built also’’ Magesa said.
Magesa said President Magufuli wanted our teams to be able to go far in various competitions and that is why he set aside a budget for national teams. He said in the past national teams were left to sports associations but during President Magufuli’s time he was very supportive of our national teams.
He said during President Magufuli’s game of basketball they have successfully participated in various competitions. He disclosed in 2018 the National youth team participated in the international under-18 tournament. Also the national under-16 team qualified for the zonal competition.
He disclosed in 2018 the National youth team participated in the international under-18 tournament. Also the national under-16 team qualified for the zonal competition. He said in 2019 they managed to organise an African league tournament in partnership from the NBA and the World Basketball federation (FIBA)
