The new administration, led by TOC president Anthony Mtaka, took over following a handover ceremony held at the committee's headquarters in Mwanayamala-Komakoma, Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam. The newly elected leadership of the Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) officially assumed office yesterday after a formal handover that revealed the organisation is grappling with significant outstanding debts.
The new administration, led by TOC president Anthony Mtaka, took over following a handover ceremony held at the committee's headquarters in Mwanayamala-Komakoma, Dar es Salaam.
Outgoing TOC president Gulam Rashid formally handed over official documents to the newly elected vice-president, Nasra Juma Mohammed, bringing his tenure to an end in accordance with the TOC Constitution.
Speaking after the ceremony, Rashid said the handover was conducted in line with both TOC regulations and the requirements of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
He congratulated the incoming leaders and urged them to continue advancing sports development in Tanzania.
Earlier, former TOC secretary-general Filbert Bayi revealed that the outgoing leadership had faced severe financial challenges since 2024 due to a lack of operational funding.
According to Bayi, the IOC suspended financial support after the postponement of TOC elections, forcing the committee to rely on its reserves to keep operations running.
He explained that the committee had received $15,000 intended to facilitate the postponed elections, which were scheduled to take place at the National Museum auditorium in Posta before being called off at the last minute.
"The postponement was announced after we had already completed most of the preparations, meaning we had already incurred substantial expenses. We were left with about $7,000, which was used to cover additional costs, but it was still insufficient," Bayi said.
He added that throughout the period, the committee relied on borrowed funds to continue its operations.
"TOC had no sponsorship apart from IOC funding. It was an extremely difficult period for us," he said.
Bayi disclosed that the outgoing administration had left behind several unpaid obligations, including three months of staff salaries, one month's office rent, allowances for committee members, outstanding payments for equipment supplied to Tanzania's team that competed at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland, and other liabilities.
"Every creditor and the details of each claim are documented in the written handover report. At this stage, we cannot state the total amount owed because the new leadership will first have to verify all the debts," he said.
For her part, TOC vice-president Nasra Juma Mohammed said the new leadership would thoroughly review the outstanding liabilities and all documents received before providing a comprehensive update.
She commended the outgoing leadership for its contribution to the growth of sports in the country and said the new administration would continue seeking guidance from its predecessors.
"I commend you for handing
over office in accordance with the established procedures. We have received the office and will continue to seek your advice because we are all working towards the same goal of developing sport in Tanzania," Mohammed said.
She added that the new leadership's immediate priority would be ensuring Tanzania performs well in international competitions while strengthening national sports associations.
"We have a major responsibility to ensure Tanzania excels in international competitions. We have several important events ahead of us, and we call upon all stakeholders to work with us to achieve these objectives," she said.
