All not well at boxing team camp

Dar es Salaam. As the furore generated by doping claims against Tanzanian athletes dies down, it has been revealed that all is not well within the national boxing team camp.

This came to light during an interview with boxers selected to represent Tanzania at the 2018 Commonwealth Games at their National Indoor Stadium training camp yesterday.

Speaking on behalf of the boxers, team captain Haruna Swanga raised a number of pertinent issues, particularly in relation to the availability of modern training kits and allowances.

According to Swanga, the pugilists are unhappy with training facilities provided ahead of the games to be held in Gold Coast, Australia in April, next year.

Swanga and team coach Said Omary are critical of what they say lack of financial support and facilities which, they believe, will create hurdles for Tanzania in winning laurels at the multi-sport event.

“We don’t have a fulltime doctor at national training camp leave alone a physiotherapist and psychologist. This situation is unbearable and not encouraging,” he said.

These are standard requirements world over but luxuries in Tanzania,” the team skipper said. Team coach Said Omary had similar views, adding that “this situation makes it difficult to train properly.”

“Boxers need special diet when they are required to reduce weight. We also we need supplements and multivitamins to recover from strict training regimen.”

“But we are not being provided these despite our request which is the reason why they can’t train properly,” he added.

Meanwhile, the boxers have appealed to the government, institutions and the business community for financial and material support ahead of the Gold Coast games.

Tanzania will also field sportsmen and women in other sporting events, including swimming, athletics and table tennis.

The national athletics team’s preparations for the Commonwealth Games suffered a setback last week when long distance runner Alphonce Simbu opted to skip the games so as to focus on the London Marathon.

Mixed-gender events in athletics, swimming, table tennis and triathlon have been approved for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The Games will include a 4x400m mixed relay in athletics and a 4x100m medley mixed relay in swimming, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The multi-sport event will be “more youthful, more urban and include more women”, says the IOC president, Thomas Bach.

Swimming will also include two further new events - a men’s 800m and women’s 1500m freestyle races.

Tokyo will have five more sports than Rio, taking the total to 33, but the existing sports have been given 15 more events.

Cycling has gained two new events, for men and women, and basketball will have a three-on-three event.

Other additions include a mixed relay in the triathlon and a mixed doubles in table tennis.