Swimmers at crossroads ahead of world tourney
Hilal Hilal competes during the National Swimming Championships at the Heaven of Peace Academy in Dar es Salaam. PHOTO|MAJUTO OMARY
What you need to know:
- The Korea event will also see national head coach Alexander Mwaipasi and two officials, Chairperson Imani Alimanya and Vice-Chair person Asma Hilal accompanied by the team. The officials will attend a high level meeting (Fina Congress)
Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Swimming Association (TSA) seeks a total of Sh 119,532,000 million to send swimmers for both World Swimming Championships to be held in Gwangju, South Korea from July 12 to 28 and Junior World Championships to be held in Budapest, Hungary from August 20 to 25.
Tanzania will send four swimmers in the World Swimming Championships. The swimmers are Hilal Hemed Hilal and Collins Saliboko in men’s category while in women’s they are Sylvia Caloiaro and Shivani Bhatt.
TSA secretary general Inviolata Itatiro said the Korea event will also see national head coach Alexander Mwaipasi and two officials, Chairperson Imani Alimanya and Vice-Chair person Asma Hilal accompanied by the team. The officials will attend a high level meeting (Fina Congress). She said TSA has to incur its own costs for four swimmers and two officials and World swimming federation (Fina) will refund the travel costs of USD 1,400 per person for three swimmers and two officials only. She said the cash can only be claimed after the competition and upon the submission of tickets and respective invoices.
“Our federation is expected to enable the team to travel by covering expenses. We need to raise Sh38,772,000 to facilitate the team. TSA has no enough money to facilitate the team to travel. We need assistance to make the team compete in the event,” said Inviolata.
She said seven swimmers will compete in a junior event, which is to involve Dennis Mhini, Delvin Barick, Christopher Fitzpatrick, Christian Shirima and Isam Sepetu who will compete in boys’ category while Kayla Temba and Laila Rashid are in girls’ category. She said TSA also needs to raise Sh 80,760,000 to enable the team to travel to Budapest.
“Head coach Michael Livingstone and technical director Amina Mfaume plus a TSA representative will attend Fina’s activities. Fina will provide travel assistance of USD 1,500 per person for three swimmers and one official as a reimbursement after the competition and the submission of tickets and invoices,” she said.
TSA also need to raise funds for the swimmers who are not in Fina’s sponsorship. “We need help to make our swimmers compete in the two events. TSA has no funds to cover the all costs even if Fina will give reimbersuments,” she said.
