All is set for the inauguration of the country’s first ever Football for Hope Centre on October 13, the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) announced.
TFF president Leodegar Tenga
TFF president Leodegar Tenga told journalists in Dar es Salaam, the centre, which is sponsored by soccer’s world governing body FIFA, is based in Iringa and is hosted by a non-governmental organisation, Iringa Development of Youth, Disabled and Child Care (IDYDCC).
The unique centre is part of a FIFA’s ‘20 Centres for 2010’ campaign – a legacy of the 2010 South Africa World Cup, which was held in Africa for the first time – which aims to create 20 Football for Hope Centres in the continent to promote public health, education and football in disadvantaged communities across Africa.
“FIFA has constructed such centres in several African countries especially those with sound records of good governance and existing good relations.
Countries that have benefitted from the centre include Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique, South Africa, Mali, Ghana, Namibia, Lesotho and Cape Verde.
FIFA has set that all 20 centres will be operational by the end of this year. IDYDCC was chosen by FIFA to host the centre and manage day-to-day activities with the support of the local community, progressively turning it into a self-supporting hub and model for social development through football.
Under FIFA’s arrangements, each centre consists of a youth football pitch, sports facilities and a gathering space to house community-based social and economic programmes.
The programme is aimed at children and young people and use football as an instrument to promote participation and dialogue. Tenga thanked FIFA for the assistance which demonstrates existing good relations between the country and the soccer body.
Meanwhile, Tenga insisted that the TFF polls are on October 27 as scheduled. “Come rain come sunshine the TFF elections will take place as arranged but what we want is to ensure that the free and fair,” he said.
Tenga said the electoral process was going on well and what remains is a revision and appeals that are being handled by the TFF Ethics and Elections Appeals Committees.
He said the aim is not to bar people from contesting TFF leadership but to ensure that the contestants’ basic qualities and rights are observed.
Fifty-eight people had aspired for the TFF posts but three of them appealed to the Elections Appeals Committee to object their disqualification while issues of eight others are being revisted by the Ethics Appeals Committee.
In another development, Tenga has commended the TFF Women’s Football Committee and the Tanzania Women’s Football Association (TWFA) for ensuring that women participate in various tournaments. He said local women teams have been taking part in different competitions despite the fact that there is no sponsorship.
Tenga said football is run through sponsorship and donation, something that is possible because of TFF’s transparency and good management. He said since the formation of the Premier League Committee TFF has been receiving only 4.5 per cent of the gate earning, instead of the original 33 per cent the federation used to get when Tenga came to power in 2004.
“The 4.5 per cent can’t run football and that’s why emphasis is put on looking for sponsors and donations,” he said. “Furthermore, TFF contributes more than 15 per cent from FIFA’s Financial Assistance Programme (FAP) to women’s football and only a few countries reach this mark,” He, therefore, called on companies to come forward and support national women’s football teams taking part in different competitions this year since their costs are exorbitant.
The national women’s national team, Twiga Stars, participate in the qualifiers of the African Women’s Championship finals to be held in Namibia next year and the Under-20 World Cup in Canada.
Source Tanzania Daily News
