Sixteen government institutions have confirmed participation in the maiden ‘Annual Sporting Bonanza’ for civil and public servants working for state-owned organizations operating in Arusha.
Organizing Committee Chairman Rashid Wizard said the games will be staged between April 11 and 12 after being postponed from this month to pave way for the visit of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) Secretary General, Abdulrahman Kinana.
“We are expecting to have over 20 organisations and many are still confirming participation in the bonanza,” he said. The two-day sporting event is being staged under the auspices of the Arusha Regional Secretariat and is to include soccer, netball, athletics, volleyball, chicken chasing, sack racing, traditional chess (draught), Bao and for the first time ever Games of Cards.
“All these sporting events will be staged at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium,” Wizard said. This is the first time Arusha is organising such a bonanza in the region to promote sports at workplaces and enable civil servants to know each other, create mutual understanding and ensure they remain healthy in a typical “all work without play made Jack a dull boy!”
District Administration offices in Arusha city, Arusha rural, Karatu, Meru, Longido, Ngorongoro and Monduli are also expected to bring their own teams for the feat.
Other institutional teams that will be participating in the bonanza include the Arusha Regional Commissioner’s Office, Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC) and Institute of Accountancy Arusha (IAA). Others are Zonal Minerals Office, Arusha Technical College (ATC), Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) and Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA).
The organisers also intend to promote some types of sport that are usually neglected, or forgotten, such as the traditional Bao, draught and Games of Card.
It is expected that the bonanza will involve at least 20 organisations bringing in nearly 40 teams to play in various events.
By YASINTA AMOS, Tanzania Daily News