TBF urges national team to remain focused
TANZANIA: TANZANIA Basketball Federation (TBF) has encouraged the national basketball men’s technical bench and players and other stakeholders to remain focused despite the postponement of the East African Community Games (EACoG).
Apart from insisting on staying focused for the games, the federation has also apologised for any inconvenience that they have to endure due to the EACoG postponement during their training camp ahead of the event.
The annual multiple sports discipline game involving teams from the East African Community (EAC) member countries, including Kenya, Burundi, DR Congo, South Sudan, Uganda, and host country Rwanda was originally scheduled to start yesterday and end on February 10 in Kigali.
TBF Communication Officer, Mery Arthur said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the federation and the National Sports Council (NSC) received information regarding the postponement of the games due at the eleventh hour with the reasons being beyond the organisers’ reach.
“Through this information, the federation wishes to inform all officials and stakeholders that our national team, `The Tanzanites’ could not be able to travel to Rwanda and participate in the relevant games due to reasons beyond the host’s reach,” she said.
Arthur stressed that due to the situation, they apologised to all those involved because the team had worked hard to prepare for the event and was looking forward to a stiff challenge.
TBF received an invitation from the government through the NSC to participate in the games which thrilled them as well as stakeholders for the honour of representing the country in the showdown but unfortunately it did not happen.
The national team squad with 13 players including Josephat Peter, Baraka Sadiki, and Eric Lugalo, from Dar es Salaam, Ally Faraji, Isaya Aswile and Fotius Ngaiza from the country’s capital City Dodoma, Jonas Mushi, Haji Mbegu from Arusha, Tyrone Edward, Mwalimu Kheri and Amini Mkosa from Mbeya.
Others are Salmin Juma (Unguja) and Sisco George from Mwanza who were joined by the technical bench under head coach Mohamed Mbwana assisted by Ashraf Harun as well as team Manager and Doctor, Alloyce Renatus and Osman Siraki respectively pitching its training camp in Dar es Salaam ahead of the Rwanda event.
On Wednesday, the Tanzania Volleyball Federation (TVF) unveiled that the national men’s volleyball team which was also preparing for the Rwanda event will not disband its training camp programmes despite the tournament postponement.
