East African Chipukizi Cup 2024 to feature record participation

ARUSHA: OVER 350 football teams and more than 100 swimmers from eight countries will feature in this year’s East African Chipukizi Cup.

The tournament sets to take action from December 9th to 15th in Arusha, 2024, and it is expected to attract over 7,000 athletes.

The tournament will host competitors from Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, the host nation Tanzania (including Zanzibar) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Chipkizi Cup 2024 will be held at multiple venues across Arusha, including the Tanganyika Game Trackers (TGT) grounds, the Aga Khan Sports Centre, Braeburn International (for swimming), Sheikh Amri Abeid City Stadium and United World Colleges (UWC).

This year marks a significant expansion for the event, as basketball will be introduced for the first time in over 15 years.

ALSO READ: Arusha Rhinos triumph at Dar Touch Rugby tourney

The addition of basketball alongside the existing swimming category, which debuted in the 2023 Chipkizi Cup, transforms the event from a youth football tournament into a comprehensive international sporting festival.

With the growing number of events, venues and participating countries, observers believe the Chipkizi Cup is on a trajectory to become Africa’s equivalent of the Olympics.

Alfred Itaeli, Director of the Future Stars Academy (FSA), which organises the tournament, confirmed that almost all the participating countries have confirmed their participation already, with the possibility of more countries to join.

“In addition to basketball and swimming, the 2024 Chipkizi Cup will feature a range of football categories, including Under-7, Under-9, Under-11, Under-13, Under-15, Under-17 and Under-20 teams for both boys and girls.

Basketball and swimming will also include various specialised categories.

He added, “The tournament has attracted sports talent scouts, agents and team managers from prestigious institutions and countries, including the US, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Sweden, Greece, Spain, Macedonia, and Kenya.”