The African Hockey Olympic qualifier earlier set for October 17-26, this year in Ismailia, Egypt has been shifted to South Africa.
She said about 20 national teams are expected to take part in the biggest hockey event in Africa. They will battle it out for a place in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as hockey is one of the Olympic sports.
“Till now 11 men and nine women’s teams have confirmed their participation. Tanzania will field both men and women’s teams,” she said. Quaranta added that the men’s team will be under experienced coach from Holland, Nick Isbouts, who after coming to Tanzania for the Hockey Volunteer Camp last January, decided to help develop hockey in the country.
Isbouts is volunteering as coach of the men’s team assisted by local coaches Mnonda Magani and Merika Kahola. The ladies team is coached by Quaranta who is assisted by Ignas Luena.
“The tournament will be tough, Tanzania will have to play against nations that are much more experienced, but we already have won our first match–raising enough funds to pay for the teams’ trip and accommodation in South Africa,” Quaranta said.
“We have got a fantastic, amazing support from private donors from across the world (friends, hockey players and other supporters from Italy, Tanzania, Australia and Netherlands… just to name some of them).”
Moreover, Quaranta thanked the main local sponsor, NMB, which has supported the teams in their trip to Johannesburg and has provided them with uniforms. She said both teams will jet off to Johannesburg aboard a Fastjet flight on October 19.
The airline has also supported the teams with a good discount on the tickets. “Thank you very much Fastjet staff from the head office in London to those in Dar es Salaam for being supportive.
We thank you for organising the online fund-raising campaign and we acknowledge all those who have donated through the website,” the Italian said. Quaranta said it is the first time the players will be participating in the qualifier but do their best to give the country a worthy representation. The tournament is being organised by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in conjunction with Africa Hockey Federation (AHF).
The Tanzania Hockey Association (THA) secretary Kaushik Doshi recently has told the ‘Daily News’ they had tentatively confirmed the entry for men’s and women national hockey sides.
Doshi said the men’s side will battle it out against other 11 African countries, including Morocco, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Libya, Namibia, Egypt and hosts South Africa.
In the ladies category, teams which have confirmed participation are Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia and Egypt. Doshi said his association is working hard to ensure the teams are well prepared and will participate smoothly in the qualifiers.
By MBONILE BURTON, Tanzania Daily News
