The national women’s hockey team head coach, Italian Valentina Quaranta, said the ladies need more games against top level teams and time to grow up and sparkle.
Quaranta made the observation in Dar es Salaam on Saturday after the team returned from the World Hockey League that ended in Nairobi, Kenya over the weekend.
The league that also involved teams from Egypt, Ghana and hosts Kenya saw the national ladies team lose all their encounters. “This is the beginning for us, other teams were formed many years ago and they are now enjoying the fruits of hard work and adequate preparations,” the optimistic Italian said.
“We won’t give up, but we’ll do everything possible to get to their level. “Participating in this tournament was a big input for the girls. They faced tough teams and played on a ground that is totally different from what they are used to in Tanzania.”
Quaranta added that the results from the ground are severe, but the feedback is good and that they need to go on to get the required results. “It’s possible and all we need is to work hard together.
We also require support from sponsors who will get mileage because their logos will appear on the team’s tracksuits and uniform,” she said.
“There are many people watching our matches and there is extensive coverage in newspapers and television which is good for sponsors.”
Tanzania ladies lost their last match 20-0 to Kenya, but Quantara said that the level was really high. She, however, admitted that the gap between Tanzania and teams such as Ghana and Kenya is still big and her ladies need to work very hard. “As a young team we still have a long way to go.
This is just the beginning and we’ll do our best to mould a winning outfit,” she said. Kenya won the tournament in the women’s category and qualified for the next step of the World League to be played in Uruguay next March.
Players in the national team are skipper Kidawa Suleiman, Sophia Saguti, Mary Sempinda, Nuru Kapama, FloraChigoma, Gwantwa Mwakasagule, Zuwena Hassan, and Grace Kundaeli.
Others are Francisca Kyaro, Maria Vungwa, Elizabeth Daniel, Hilda Mlimilagele, Wambera Mohamed, Kahidja Mohamed, Beatrice Fataki, Rose Gasper and Catherine Mwinyimvua. The women’s team was sponsored by Techno Brain (T) Ltd, Diamond Motors and Jubilee Insurance, all of Dar es Salaam.
By MBONILE BURTON, Tanzania Daily News