Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Youth, Sports and Culture, Sihaba Nkinga has urged her ministry’s sports team to maintain discipline at the forthcoming Inter-ministries (SHIMIWI) Games expected to start next week in Morogoro.
Bidding farewell to some 55 sportsmen and women in Dar es Salaam workers, she said she hopes the team will preserve its integrity and good status in the competitions and urged them not to forget they are public servants who need to observe ethics.
“You (team) should prove that not only you can participate in the competitions, but you also have the ability to maintain discipline throughout your stay in Morogoro,” Nkinga said.
She added: “It won’t be a good thing for us, as a ministry which oversees sports in the country, to contravene the Games rules and regulations … we should be role models to others and strive to make the ministry proud.”
Nkinga explained that the private sector plays a big role in developing sports in the country and she appealed to them to continue supporting government efforts in boosting sports.
“Experience shows that nobody has succeeded in sports without using the private sector, so we really need them in developing sports not only in the ministry, but the whole nation,” she said.
Deputy Permanent Secretary Elisante Ole Gabriel singled out psychology as the most important aspect in excelling in sports.
“Sports science states that in order to win trophies in any game, physical fitness and psychological build-up are the most important things and hopefully you have those things,” he said.
The ministry’s sports club, HUM, chairperson Magreth Mlaki said SHIMIWI Games have always enhanced good relations and unity among the ministry’s employee.
By FRANK KIMARO, Tanzania Daily News