The Zanzibar government is out to mark its 50th anniversary in style, with various sporting activities lined up to colour the event.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Minister for Information, Culture, Tourism and Sports of Zanzibar, Saidi Ally Mbarouk said that the sporting activities will start on January 2 to 14, next year. He mentioned some of the sports disciplines lined up to colour the anniversary as football, netball, beach volleyball, table tennis, handball and hockey.
Others are Badminton, fitness, Special Olympics, squash and other games for people with physical disabilities. He said the annual Mapinduzi football Cup will attract top local and regional teams, saying further that efforts were made to invite teams from China and Vietnam, which he said are yet to confirm their participation.
“We expect top clubs to compete for top honour in the event,” he said naming clubs such as Simba, Yanga, Mbeya City, Pemba Combine and others from outside the country including Uganda’s Kampala City Council (KCC) and Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Kenya’s Tusker and Gor Mahia as among teams expected to battle it out in the championships.
He said Zanzibar President Ali Mohamed Shein will grace the closing ceremony on January 14 at the Amman Stadium. Mbaruok said that preparations for the championships were well underway, where Revolutionary Committee has been formed and tasked to ensure smooth organisation of the event.
By FATMA ABDU, Tanzania Daily News
