The Tanzania Amateur Netball Association (CHANETA) aims at revitalising men’s netball teams so that they can participate in local and international competitions arenas.
Anna Kibira
CHANETA Chairperson Anna Kibira told the ‘Daily News’ in Dar es Salaam that one of their priorities is to persuade men to form netball teams and re-establish the defunct ones.
“As you remember, we used to have several men’s teams, but I don’t know what went wrong. In Tanzania mainland we do not have a single men’s team to date,” she said. She said they are focusing on having men’s netball teams in the Union League in October and an international event set for November.
“We really want to see men take the game seriously and form permanent teams that will participate in various competitions within and outside the country,” said Kibira.
Early in 2000 netball opened its door to men and several teams, including Jeshi Stars, Police Mara and JKT were formed. For the first time in the country’s history men’s teams were included in the National First Division League in 2005.
While mainland teams are dead there are several still existing in Zanzibar. Zanzibar JKU men’s team took part in the 13th East Africa Netball Club Championship in Nairobi, Kenya recently and finished second behind champions Kenya Prisons.
JKU were among four men’s teams which competed in the round-robin tournament and they got four points, two drift of the champions. Apart from JKU, other Zanzibar men’s netball teams are Police, Msambweni and Sogea, to name just a few.
Kibira said they want to revive men’s netball teams on the mainland that will compete with their isles counterparts and have a strong team that will represent the country in international competitions. Women have historically dominated the CHANETA leadership but men are still involved, especially in roles like coaching and umpiring.
