Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda has urged teams taking part in the East Africa Secondary School Games to use them to cement unity among the East African Community (EAC) member-states.
PRIME Minister Mizengo Pinda presents the 2014 East Africa Secondary School Games boys’ basketball trophy to Lord Baden Powell Secondary School captain Jerome Ndomba at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday as the Minister for Information, Youth, Culture and Sports, Fenella Mukangara (right) looks on. (Photo by Frank Kimaro)
Closing the 13th edition of the Games at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday, he said the competitions are very important to the youth who are future leaders and decision makers, especially in fostering love, peace and unity within the EAC.
“If I was told to develop my own theme I would let it be, ‘One people, one destiny through the East Africa Secondary School Games and other activities’,” he said.
Pinda further said youth are a peaceful EAC army brought together through sports to unify their countries and hoped that a federation will be formed one day.
“These youths are the EAC’s great army and these Games bring them together to cooperate in many good things and ‘Inshallah’ an East African federation seems to be in the offing,” he said.
The annual Games are organised by the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Associations (FEASSSA) and seven countries took part this year. Speaking at the same occasion, FEASSSA President Justus Mugisha commended Tanzania for the successful hosting of the tournament which will next year be staged in Rwanda.
“Action speaks louder than words and for all the days we have been in Tanzania we’ve enjoyed our stay and experienced excellent action from the participating teams,” he said. Mugisha thanked the government for providing the best security throughout the tournament.
The Local Organising Committee Chairperson, Mwantumu Mahiza, is grateful that the Games have ended peacefully and successfully and she congratulated both the winners and losers.
Lord Baden Powell of Tanzania Mainland made the country proud by clinching the boys’ basketball title after beating compatriots Makongo 81-64 in a thrilling final.
It was a sad day for Makongo who also narrowly missed the girls’ soccer trophy after going down 2-1 to Rwanda’s GS Kabusunzu. Uganda’s St Mary Kitende retained the boys’ soccer title after upsetting their compatriots Kibuli 5-4 on post-match penalties after the two sides had battled to a 1-1 draw in normal time.
St Mary’ had all the reasons to smile yesterday as they also took home the girls volleyball and netball titles. The Ugandans beat Malava of Kenya 3-2 in volleyball and went on to thrash their sisters St Julian 58-31 in netball.
On Saturday, Shimba Hills and Sinyolo retained their girls’ basketball and hockey titles after winning their final matches. In a repeat of last year’s girls’ basketball final against St Mary’s Kitende, Shimba Hills took the first quarter 18-14 but relaxed in the second quarter which the Ugandans, buoyed by former Shimba Hills point guard Primrose Asura, won 12-11.
Kwale-based Shimba Hills, however, won the last quarter 16- 06 to take the trophy. In girls’ hockey, high-flying Sinyolo retained the trophy after beating Uganda’s Namagunga 8-0. Friends School Kamusinga also kept the boys’ hockey title they won last year, beating compatriots Maseno 3-0 to retain the boys’ hockey title.
The Games brought together more than 3,000 students from about 200 schools that represented seven countries – Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Zanzibar and hosts Tanzania Mainland.
They competed in football, volleyball, basketball, hockey, rugby, badminton, athletics, netball, handball, table tennis and swimming
By FRANK KIMARO, Tanzania Daily News