Tanzanians need medals at All-Africa Games

TANZANIA: AFTER investing heavily and making preparations for the All-Africa Games in Accra, Ghana, it is now up to the athletes to bring glory to their country by winning as many medals as possible.

The event will begin tomorrow and will end on March 23rd. Tanzania will be represented by 75 athletes from five national teams, including Cycling, Athletics, Swimming, Boxing, Judo and the Under-20 Women’s Football Team ‘Tanzanite’.

Winning medals at the All-Africa Games not only boosts the pride and confidence of the athletes, but also raises the spirits of the entire nation. It showcases the country’s abilities, fosters national pride and boosts international prestige.

A successful performance at the All Africa Games can have a significant impact on a nation’s morale and overall development.

Tanzania has been participating in these competitions since 1965 and has won a total of 24 medals, including four golds, 10 silver and 10 bronze.

As Tanzania has not won a medal at these games since 2011 at Maputo, it will be a great honour for Tanzania to win a medal at the All-Africa Games.

The Tanzanian envoys did not win a medal at either the 2015 Brazzaville, Congo or the 2019 Rabat, Morocco games following their year’s achievements. One of Tanzania’s most exciting achievements was its seven medals in 1987 in Nairobi, Kenya, including two silvers and five bronzes.

Tanzania bagged five medals at the next games in 1991 in Cairo, Egypt with one gold, three silver, and one bronze. The government has accorded great support to athletes, including creating better hospitality for all athletes to train, allowances to players and bonuses.

Minister for Culture, Arts and Sports, Damas Ndumbaro urged the athletes who will represent Tanzania at the forthcoming All Africa Games 2024 to work hard and win as many medals as possible.

Speaking with athletes early this week, he said, “Go there and succeed… the government is there for you to ensure that you go and compete well…the time for Tanzania to feature in these games as tourists is over.

“This is the reason we have sent a bigger number of athletes than any other year, and we believe that the number of medals to be collected will also be many.” The success of the All Africa Games will forecast how the nation might achieve in the coming Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Hence, these games should work as a class for athletes, trainers, and officials to ensure the government’s hard work to impact the sports industry sees glory.