Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Bernard Membe
Source : Daily News,by BETRAM LENGAMA
THE government has announced departure dates for Team Tanzania athletes, who are scheduled to undergo extensive drills abroad, ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
The head of Government Communication Unit (GCU) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mindi Kasiga, disclosed the dates to the ‘Daily News’ in Dar es Salaam when reached for clarification on the ministry’s recent offer.
Kasiga said the athletes will travel to four different countries -- China, New Zealand, Turkey and Ethiopia -- for further intensive training in preparations for the Glasgow event which is set for July 23 to August 3 this year. The quadrennial games will see 4,500 athletes compete for 261 medals in 17 sports at 14 venues.
Kasiga added that athletes who have been selected by their respective sports associations for the training in New Zealand, Turkey and Ethiopia are expected to travel to the respective training countries on April 12 this year.
She said those who have been selected to train in the People’s Republic of China are expected to leave the country on May 1 in time to start their drills.
“After knowing the dates of departure, we are now working on travelling procedures for the athletes who have been picked by their respective associations to represent the country in the Commonwealth Games,” said Kasiga.
Recently, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Bernard Membe said the government had decided to assist sports associations whose athletes will represent the country in the 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow due to lack of international standard training facilities in the country.
A total of 50 athletes and about 16 coaches will travel abroad to train for the Games and according to the allocation 10 athletes will train in Ethiopia, 10 in New Zealand, 10 in China and 10 in Turkey.
The government will provide tickets and per diem allowances while the rest of the expense will be covered by the host countries.
Recently Minister Membe was quoted as saying that the training was made possible after his ministry had adopted a ‘sports diplomacy’ this year and decided to assist the Ministry of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports to get international standard facilities where youths participating in various sports can train before participating in international tournaments.
Membe is optimistic and expects that the training will enable and assured Tanzanians medals from the forthcoming Commonwealth Games after a long medal drought in several international events which was caused by dismal performance.
According to Minister Membe, New Zealand, which is among the five countries that will host Tanzania athletes, is overjoyed to host the Tanzanian team and use their facilities to train because of Filbert Bayi's memorable performance in that country.
Bayi, the current Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) Secretary General, clocked 3 minutes and 32.16 seconds at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand to set a World record that he still holds to date.
Tanzania will compete in athletics, boxing, cycling, table tennis, swimming, judo, wrestling, weightlifting and Paralympics in this year’s multi-sport event in Glasgow.
The head of Government Communication Unit (GCU) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mindi Kasiga, disclosed the dates to the ‘Daily News’ in Dar es Salaam when reached for clarification on the ministry’s recent offer.
Kasiga said the athletes will travel to four different countries -- China, New Zealand, Turkey and Ethiopia -- for further intensive training in preparations for the Glasgow event which is set for July 23 to August 3 this year. The quadrennial games will see 4,500 athletes compete for 261 medals in 17 sports at 14 venues.
Kasiga added that athletes who have been selected by their respective sports associations for the training in New Zealand, Turkey and Ethiopia are expected to travel to the respective training countries on April 12 this year.
She said those who have been selected to train in the People’s Republic of China are expected to leave the country on May 1 in time to start their drills.
“After knowing the dates of departure, we are now working on travelling procedures for the athletes who have been picked by their respective associations to represent the country in the Commonwealth Games,” said Kasiga.
Recently, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Bernard Membe said the government had decided to assist sports associations whose athletes will represent the country in the 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow due to lack of international standard training facilities in the country.
A total of 50 athletes and about 16 coaches will travel abroad to train for the Games and according to the allocation 10 athletes will train in Ethiopia, 10 in New Zealand, 10 in China and 10 in Turkey.
The government will provide tickets and per diem allowances while the rest of the expense will be covered by the host countries.
Recently Minister Membe was quoted as saying that the training was made possible after his ministry had adopted a ‘sports diplomacy’ this year and decided to assist the Ministry of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports to get international standard facilities where youths participating in various sports can train before participating in international tournaments.
Membe is optimistic and expects that the training will enable and assured Tanzanians medals from the forthcoming Commonwealth Games after a long medal drought in several international events which was caused by dismal performance.
According to Minister Membe, New Zealand, which is among the five countries that will host Tanzania athletes, is overjoyed to host the Tanzanian team and use their facilities to train because of Filbert Bayi's memorable performance in that country.
Bayi, the current Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) Secretary General, clocked 3 minutes and 32.16 seconds at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand to set a World record that he still holds to date.
Tanzania will compete in athletics, boxing, cycling, table tennis, swimming, judo, wrestling, weightlifting and Paralympics in this year’s multi-sport event in Glasgow.
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