Two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Gidamis Shahanga has been elected president of the Tanzania Olympians Association (TOA).
Shahanga won 43 yes votes against two cast at the TOA general election held in Morogoro on Saturday. Shahanga is the lone Tanzanian athlete to have won two gold medals in consecutive Club Games.
He won a gold in marathon at the 1978 Commonwealth Games held in Edmonton, Canada and bragged another gold in 10,000 metres at the next Games held in Brisbane, Australia in 1982. Former president Suleiman Nyambui, who decided to step aside due to pressure of work, was elected vice-president.
The incumbent Athletics Tanzania (AT) secretary general collected 43 votes. TOA secretary general Mwinga Mwanjala was re-elected with 45 votes while Taher Kitisa was elected treasurer after collecting 42 votes.
Executive committee members with their votes in bracket are Peter Mwita (18), Marcelina Emmanuel (17) and Samson Laizer (16). Morogoro Regional Commissioner Joel Bendera, who was the chief guest, urged sports leaders to start preparations as early as possible for next year’s Commonwealth Games to be held in Glasgow, Scotland.
By COSMAS MLEKANI, Tanzania Daily News
