Minister for Information, Youth, Culture and Sports, Fenella Mukangara has expressed the government’s commitment to promote sports but urged other stakeholders to give more support.
The Minister for Information, Youth, Culture and Sports, Fenella Mukangara (second left) presents kits to Mugabe Secondary School team captain, Juma Shabani during a brief eremony to hand over sports gears to the selected Dar es Salaam Secondary Schools, which will participate in special soccer tournament. Looking on (from left) is the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Elisante Ole Gabriel, Vodacom Tanzania Foreign Relations Manager, Salum Mwalimu and the school teacher, Farouq Kakurwa.
She made the call in Dar es Salaam on Friday during an occasion to hand over sports equipments amounting to over 11m/- to different schools in Dar es Salaam Region.
The minister said that the kits will be used in a football tournament to pit 12 secondary schools in Ilala, Temeke and Kinondoni municipalities. She said the tournament aimed at developing sports in secondary schools in the region.
She said the gear include sets of jerseys, 40 balls and two cups that have been donated by Vodacom Tanzania.
The minister said that the intention of this competition is to encourage young people to participate in sports for the purpose of building their health and enhance their academic ability.
“The objective is to develop talent in schools, especially is such sports as football, volleyball and others,” Mukangara said.
She added that the tournament that started in October, last year will continue next week in Dar es Salaam region, then it will roll over to other regions in the country.
“The competition will start in some schools in Dar es Salaam and will extend to other regions across the country, in order to enable as many youth as possible to participate in competitive games,” she noted.
In Dar es Salaam, she said, the event will be hosted in three different venues – Kibasila Secondary School in Temeke Municipality, Benjamini Mkapa Secondary School in Ilala and Turiani Secondary School in Kinondoni Municipality.
She added that the tournament will be managed by the National Sports Council (NSC) in coordination with regional and district sports leaders and sports teachers in schools.
“We call upon corporate to support sports in order for youth, especially students, to excel in the sector,” she said.
Mukangara said that the government would love to see as many young people as possible are actively taking part in sports.
For his part, Vodacom External Public Relations Manager Salim Mwalimu, said that they have formed a coalition with the ministry aimed at promoting youth football and developing new talents.
By FATMA ABDU, Tanzania Daily News