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GAMES: Team TZ begins hunt for medals

Tanzanian jodokas in action during a training session ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The country pins its medal hopes on the fighters as they start their Glasgow Games mission today. photo | file

What you need to know:

  • Tanzania has competed in 11 of the 18 previous Commonwealth Games; in 1962 as Tanganyika, and from the 1966 Games as Tanzania, following the union with Zanzibar in 1964

Dar es Salaam. Finally, the long wait is over. Expectations are running high amongst Tanzanians as the country’s envoys start hunting for medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games today in Scotland. Tanzania has so far won a total of 24 medals and today, the number might start going up as swimmers, judokas, weightlifters and table tennis players get their campaigns underway. While other Team Tanzania athletes have their eyes on medals, middle distance runner Dotto Ikangaa’s chances of participating in the Games are growing slim after failing to secure visa. Ikangaa was one of the four athletes struggling with visa and accreditation, but the three jodokas have already been ruled out of the Glasgow event, leaving the former in suspense.

Deputy Sports Director Juliana Yasoda told The Citizen yesterday that the athletes were in the right frame of mind, looking forward to restoring Tanzania’s pride at the Commonwealth Games. “All eyes will be on our athletes today as they start battling for medals in Glasgow. Athletes in five sports will be competing tomorrow (today) and they are all optimistic of dong their country proud,” said Yasoda.

Tanzania performed awfully in the 2010 Delhi Games where the athletes competed, but could only fly back home empty-handed.

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The judokas entering the ring today include Abubakari Nzige (60kg) who will fight against Mohamed Fakri of Malaysia in 32 rounds while Andrew Thomas (66kg) got as bye to the last 16 and will face the winner between Rexly Theul of Vanuatu and Zambia’s Mathews Punza.

Mbarouk Mbarouk (73kg) is another Tanzania who has sailed through to the last 16, awaiting the winner of the fight pitting Curtis Dodge (Wales) against Adrian Leat (New Zealand) while Geofrey Edward  (90kg) will faceJeewantha Wickramage (Sri Lanka) while Ahmed Magogo (60kg) faces South African Le Grande.

A prominent jodoka, Masoud Amour Kombo (100kg), takes on Ruslan Rancev (Vilnius) in the round of top 16  while his countryman Gervas Chilipweli faces Naddy Jeanne of Seychelles in a similar stage. In swimming, Hilal Hilal, Ammar Ghadiyali (50m/100m freestyle), Magdalena Moshi and Mariam Foum (50m/100m freestyle) will be looking to make a flying start.

The likes of Amoni Aman, Masoud Mtalaso, Neema Mwaisyula, Mwamvita Mohamed, Yahya Hassan Mungilwa and Agnes Ngodoki will be competing in table tennis while Shaibu Abdullah (69kg) and Rahman Simai (77kg) are nation’s envoys in weightlifting.

Athletics, a founding sport in Commonwealth Games, will take place between this Sunday and next Saturday at the temporarily modified Hampden Park, Scotland’s national football stadium.

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