AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIA Basketball Federation (TBF) has joined others to mourn the death of the retired Chief Justice, Augustino Ramadhani who passed away in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.
The federation’s president Phares Magesa said in Dar es Salaam in his federation’s condolence to the late Ramadhani’s family that basketball fraternity in the country has been deeply shocked with his death as he was of one of the federation’s patrons.
“TBF will remember Chief Justice for his huge efforts to promote and develop basketball in the country. On behalf of myself and the federation I would like to send our heartfelt condolence to his family and everyone who is touched by this death,” he said.
“Justice Ramadhani was still our federation’s patron, the position he held since 2006 when he took it from the Former President, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete,” he noted.
Magesa added that his federation has also received condolence message from FIBA Africa Zone Five president, Hesham El Hariri to Ramadhani family and the entire basketball fraternity.
“In his message, El Hariri has described the late Justice as one of the excellent leaders and good example to be followed in Africa.”
El Hariri met with Ramadhani during the Afro Basketball Zone V held in Dar es Salaam in June 2018.
Magesa stressed that the late Ramadhani has been grown into the game; he started to take on basketball while at Tabora Boys Secondary School in 1960 and since then has remained faithful to the game until his death.
He said that Ramadhani was among the founders of the former Basketball Association of Tanzania (BATA) and went on to be elected as its first Chairman and led the association to write its constitution in 1972.
Magesa said that Ramadhani led the national basketball team in various international level championships, including All Africa Games qualification event in Egypt in 1977 whose other delegates were Saleh Zonga, Hassan Kange, Frank Masumba, all working under BATA leaders like Hamidu Halekwa.
During his tenure Tanzanian basketball flourished and discovered several talented players, including the former national team member, Henry Mwinuka who went on to become a professional coach in Rwanda’s Patriots who are the Afrobasketball Zone V Champions.
Other emerging top players include Hasheem Thabeet, who played for Memphis Grizzlies at NBA League in USA and African League best scorer in 2019, Baraka Sadik.
There is a highly talented youth Atik Ally who current studies in Canada.
“Late Justice Ramadhani will be remembered for his excellent services towards the game, he was vibrant, a sensible, a wise leader, patient, loving and the visionary leader who always emphasizes with equality at the game and wanted us to be together as one,” he said.
He added that late Ramadhani had also dreams to make basketball popular by promoting it from the grassroots levels, ladies and people with disabilities.
