EDITORIAL: Chaneta, drop the pity party, court sponsors

Back in the 1980s, Tanzania was on the cusp of becoming one of the most dominant forces in netball on the continent. Much has changed since and netball enthusiasts feel that perhaps the biggest change has been the decline in the fortunes of their teams.

Tanzanian teams, both clubs and the national side, have lately achieved very little on the international stage. Our best effort came in 2011, when the national team bagged a silver medal at the All Africa Games in Mozambique.

Netball is our number one women’s sport and it is puzzling why it does not attract enough commercial support. The governing body of the sport, Chaneta, has often had to go on fundraising blitzes to finance the national team’s campaigns. Is it that Chaneta lacks the skills to attract sponsors? Perhaps yes. This is probably why Tanzania is always represented by army teams in club contests. Civilian clubs are cash-strapped. They have been reduced to also-rans. And there is little reason to believe their fortunes will improve soon.

We do not intend to disrespect the army outfits. They are Tanzanian and are always there to fight for us. But is Chaneta aggressive enough to court sponsors and help civilian clubs compete at par with the army sides?

Wallowing in self pity will never take netball to the level it was three decades ago. It is high time Chaneta Chairperson Anne Kibira walked the talk. Sponsorship is vital in creating the environment for our teams to achieve success and growth.

By enabling teams to grow, they also open the door for others to enter and reap honour for themselves and their country.

The East African Championship starts in Zanzibar today, with the Mainland fielding three teams--all allied to the army. We wish them the best of luck. In the meantime, Chaneta might want to do some serious soul-searching.