Team Tanzania, comprising 15 players, five coaches and seven officials, leaves for Australia today for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, which roar into life on April 5 in Gold Coast
Dar es Salaam. The government has challenged athletes who will represent Tanzania at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia to aim for gold medals.
Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Harrison Mwakyembe made the challenge at the official send off of Team Tanzania at the National Stadium yesterday.
The team, comprising 15 players, five coaches and seven officials, leaves for Australia today for the multi-sport event, which roars into life on April 5 in Gold Coast.
Addressing the athletes and stakeholders at a send-off ceremony, Mwakyembe encouraged the athletes to do the country proud at the 11-day games. “You should go there as ambassadors of the country. Millions of Tanzanians will rally behind you when you compete in the Gold Coast games,” the minister told the athletes.
He also re-affirmed the government’s commitment to sports development in the country.
Also present was Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) secretary general, Filbert Bayi.
Team captain Masoud Mtalaso said they were in high spirits, raring to leave a mark at the eagerly awaited games.
“We are ready for the challenge. We are targeting for at least four or more gold medals,” he said.
“We have trained well and this time around we want to sparkle at the games,” he added.
For weeks, runners have been training in Arusha while table tennis players and boxers have been camping at Filbert Bayi School in Kibaha, Coast Region ahead of the Club Games.
Hilal Hilal, one of the best swimmers in the country at the moment, had camped in Dubai.
Highly-rated female swimmer Sonia Tumiotto, who has opted to skip the games due to family problems, had camped in England.
Tanzania will field players in table tennis, athletics, swimming and boxing at the games.
The runners are Stephano Gwandu and Said Makula, who will compete in marathon. Also on the list are Ali Gulan and Anthon Mwanga, who will compete in the men’s 100m and 200m respectively.
Anthon Mwanga will compete in long jump and triple jump.
Female runners in the squad are Failuna Abdi, who will feature in the 10000m race, and marathoners Magdalena Shauri and Sarah Ramadhan.
The athletics team is under two coaches, namely Zakaria Barie and Lwiza John.
Boxers are Kassim Mbutike (69kg), Selemani Kidunda (75kg), Ezra Paul (56kg) and Haruna Swaga (91kg). The team is coached by Benjamini Oyombi. Swimmer Hilal Hemed will compete in the men’s 50m and 100m freestyle.
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Table tennis players are Amon Tumaini, Masoud Mtalaso (men), Neema Mwasisyula and Fathiya Pazi (women).
They will compete in the games under the tutelage of coach Ramadhan Suleiman.
The other officials in the squad are team manager Nasra Abndallah physician Joakim Mshanga.
