Over 200 pupils join grassroots tennis drive in Temeke

DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA’S efforts to develop tennis at the grassroots level are beginning to show positive results, with over 200 pupils already participating in a newly launched school-based training programme led by the National Tennis Team’s Head Coach, Hassan Chande.

This initiative, currently taking place at Kibasila Primary School in Temeke District, has entered its second week as part of a broader plan to introduce the sport to children from a young age and identify potential future national team players.

Coach Chande, who is leading the project, said that there is a huge progress since the programme commenced last month.

“We started in Temeke District, beginning with Kibasila Primary School and this is our second week. The development has been promising,” said Chande.

He added: “So far, over 200 children have participated in the first and second weeks of training. Our goal is to reach at least three schools per district, with 50 girls and 50 boys at each school.”

Chande mentioned that although the programme is still in its early stages, the long-term vision is to create a talent pipeline that feeds into the Tanzania Tennis Association training centres.

He stressed through this programme will eventually help produce players for the U-12, U-14 and U-16 national teams.

“We are not just teaching them how to play; we are identifying talent. From there, we will take the best-performing pupils into further development. These young athletes could soon represent Tanzania at various age levels,” he said.

The positive impact of this initiative is already being felt within the school community.

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Revina Tarimo, a teacher at Kibasila Primary School, praised the programme for nurturing talent and boosting children’s confidence.

“We are very happy to have this tennis programme in our school. It’s a sport with the potential to unlock great talent among children,” she said.

She added: “Many of these pupils had no prior knowledge of tennis, but now they can rally, play matches and most importantly they are doing it with confidence.”

Revina believes the programme could be life-changing for some pupils, creating opportunities at both national and international levels.

“We have already seen promising talent emerging. With proper guidance, these children could advance to high-level play and access many opportunities that exist in tennis today. It’s a programme that gives hope and direction,” she noted.