The Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) is likely to lockout some sports associations from participating in the forthcoming Commonwealth Games schedule for Glasgow, Scotland from July 23 to August 3 this year due to serious irregularities.
Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) Secretary General, Filbert Bayi
TOC Secretary General Filbert Bayi told the ‘Daily News’ in Dar es Salaam on Thursday that most of the associations picked to represent the country in the quadrennial Games have failed to present complete particulars of their athletes and even failed to mention the categories of sport they will be engaged in.
“It’s very disappointing that some of the sports associations which were picked to represent the country in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games have failed to present the required particulars needed,” he said.
Bayi named the associations as Boxing Federation of Tanzania (BFT), Judo Association of Tanzania (JATA) and Tanzania Paralympics Committee (TPC).
Bad enough, Bayi added that JATA seemed to be in total confusion because judokas officials from Zanzibar and Tanzania Mainland each presented its own team, meaning they had failed to abide with TOC directives which ordered them to meet and select a single team.
The TOC boss thus threatened to lockout the athletes from the associations that have failed to submit the required details from taking part in the Glasgow Games.
“Until they make amend and fill in the required details, we’ll lock them out of the games,” Bayi said.
However, he said a special government task force committee, which is concerned with Commonwealth Games preparations, will on February 19, this year, meet associations which are earmarked to send athletes to the Games, to discuss various issues including the blunders made and to check the qualifications of athletes picked for the Games.
“We are going to meet on February 19 to discuss on various issues concerning our preparations for the Glasgow Games, including whether the athletes picked by the associations have met the qualification standards or not. We’ll also see how they are conducting the preparations for the Games,” Bayi explained.
He added that if they establish that the associations have failed to implement the directive given to them in order to qualify for the Glasgow Games, there will be no reason for the athletes to take part in the event.
Last month, President Jakaya Kikwete warned associations not to select athletes who have not met the qualification standards to represent the country in the Commonwealth Games to avoid shame when receiving the Queen’s Baton Relay at the State House in Dar es Salaam.
Tanzania is expected to be represented by athletics, table tennis, swimming, cycling, boxing, judo and Paralympics teams.The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games will involve over 6,500 athletes from 70 countries who will compete in 17 sports over 11 days.
Source Tanzania Daily News
