Tanga stadium tipped to spark cricket progress
National women’s cricket team trainer Hamis Abdallah demonstrates a skill during a past training session at Muhimbili Cricket Academy ground. photo | file
What you need to know:
Tanga, one of the cricket playing regions, will soon have its standard stadium.
Dar es Salaam. Tanga is expected to open its cricket stadium during Easter, a move that is likely to trigger the rise of the sport in the coastal region.
To spice up the launch, the Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA) Regional Women’s Championship will be staged at the ground.
Hamis Abdallah, one of the TCA administrators, told The Citizen yesterday that construction of the stadium was in final stages and that the association decided the new venue to host the national tournament.
“We are delighted that Tanga will have a good stadium in less than two months. Construction will be finalized just before Easter and the venue will host the national event straight away,” Abdallah said.
Abdallah, who also trains the women’s team, harboured hopes that the opening of the stadium will spark the rise in cricket activities in Tanga, which according to him, will contribute significantly to the country’s cricket development.
“Definitely, the stadium will open a new chapter of cricket development in Tanga and the country at large. We are looking forward to triggering cricket interest throughout the northern regions,” he said.
Tanga is one of the regions that are under the TCA’s Development Programmes whereby young players, mainly from schools are trained to play cricket.
Other regions which fall under the programme are Morogoro, Arusha and Mwanza.
Abdallah said that during the weeklong championship, the region’s combined teams from all the districts with cricket development programmes will compete in T20 and 50 overs.
“We will have two main tournaments, namely Twenty20 and 50 overs, so Tanga residents will certainly be treated to an exciting action,” he said.
Morogoro and Dar es Salaam have regularly hosted the event.
The tournament is also aimed at selecting the national women’s cricket team to prepare for the ICC-Africa Women’s World Cup Qualifiers planned for the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi.
Meanwhile, senior men’s national cricket team players are under serious training to prepare for the ICC World League Division 5.
The players are training at the Muhimbili Cricket Academy and Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club.
The world’s governing cricket body, ICC has confirmed that Jersey will host World Cricket League Division 5 in May.
