East Africa: EA Netball Championship Must Promote Sports, Foster Relations THE East Africa Netball Club Championship opens at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam with 22 teams from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Zanzibar and Mainland Tanzania expected to take part. According to the hosts, the Tanzania Netball Association (CHANETA), all is set for the premier netball club championship in the region that aims to promote sports and enhance relations amongst the East African Community members. Foreign teams are already in the city and are currently bracing for the showdown that involves both women and mens teams. They include Ugandas National Insurance Corporation (NIC) and Kenya Prisons, who are women and mens defending champions respectively. Others are Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA), Kampala University and Prisons - all from Uganda. They are joined by Kenyas Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (OICT), GANECK, Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and Western Stima. Mainland is hosting the competition for the first time under the incumbent CHANETA leadership voted in office in Dodoma in April last year. Its also the first time Mainland teams are taking part in the tournament under Anna Kibiras stewardship. National champions Filbert Bayi Foundation (FBF), JKT Mbweni and Jeshi Stars missed out on last years edition in Nairobi, Kenya due to fiscal constraints. Unfortunately, Jeshi Stars have withdrawn from the tournament being held at their own backyard for no apparent reasons. However, FBF and JKT Mbweni are among the title contenders and they team up with compatriots JKT Ruvu, Magereza of Morogoro, Arusha City, Kazamoyo and Mangaya to ensure the prestigious cup remains in the country. Zanzibar is also in the fray and is represented by five teams -- JKU, Mafunzo, Polisi, and Msambweni. Since Tanzania has for a long time been facing a severe drought in medals in international competitions, it is now an opportune moment for local teams in the East Africa Championship to reverse the trend and make the country proud. We call upon our representatives to give their all and observe a high degree of discipline so that one of them eventually grabs the much sought title to enable the country to regain its lost glory. We also urge local fans to turn up en masse at the National Stadium to cheer up their envoys.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 04:57:36 +0000
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