Tanzania must believe Glasgow can deliver more Commonwealth glory

DODOMA: THE size of Tanzania’s team is not the story. Its potential is. As the country sends 12 athletes to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, focus should not be on how many will compete, but on what they can achieve.

Tanzania has won Commonwealth medals in the past, and there is every reason to believe it can do so again. This is not the time for modest expectations.

It is time for confidence. Tanzania’s delegation comprises 12 athletes competing in four sports: athletics, boxing, judo, and swimming.

They have earned the right to represent the nation in one of the Commonwealth’s biggest sporting stages. They are not travelling to Scotland to make up the numbers.

They are going there to compete, to challenge and, above all, to win medals. History supports that ambition.

Tanzania has won 24 medals at the Commonwealth Games: six gold, seven silver and 11 bronzes.

Those achievements were built on talent, discipline and determination, proving that Tanzanian athletes can excel against some of the strongest competitors among the Commonwealth fraternity.

That legacy should inspire this generation to write its own chapter.

The country’s most recent appearance at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games offers further encouragement.

Tanzania returned home from that England city with three medals: a silver won by marathon runner Alphonce Simbu and bronze medals claimed by boxers Kassim Mbundwike and Yusuf Changalawe.

Those results reaffirmed the nation’s strength in athletics and boxing, two sports that again form the backbone of this year’s campaign.

Of course, success in Glasgow will not come easily. Every athlete will face opponents of the highest calibre, and every medal must be earned competitively.

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Yet great sporting achievements begin with belief. Confidence, preparation and determination often make the difference when competition is at its fiercest.

Tanzania’s athletes must trust in the work they have done and seize every opportunity that comes their way. The nation, too, has a role to play.

These athletes carry the hopes and pride of millions of Tanzanians. They deserve unwavering support as they strive to raise the national flag high on the podium once again.

To Team Tanzania, the message is simple and direct: believe in yourselves because the nation believes in you.

You have the talent, preparation and the opportunity to succeed. Go to Glasgow with courage, compete with determination and fight for every medal.

Tanzania has earned Commonwealth glory before. There is no reason why Glasgow cannot deliver more for our country