Sports reforms shouldn't target football alone

Paradise:

Officials of some sports associations who attended a meeting with Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam last week. File photo

 Reforms in the sports policy has been a top agenda among sports stakeholders across the nation. The reason behind is a perennial failures that has now turned into a tradition rather than bad luck.

 

Football has been the most focused sport as many take its gauge as a yardstick for sports development or failure. It looks that had we been successful on soccer, other sports categories would have been overlooked no matter of their performance levels. Very unfortunate that we define sports in terms of football development or failure as most of the households are highly obsessed with soccer. This is one of the reasons that we fail to capitalize on other sports that would have brought us international accolades at global platform.

 

Last week, the Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa and the Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Nape Nnauye called for urgent reforms in the sports sector.

 

In one of his early interview after his appointment, Nnauye spoke about what needed to be done to redeem the sports industry in the country. He pointed out the lack of a sports policy that should provide the guideline to all sports federations, associations and organs countrywide.

 

He stressed the need for a clear sports policy that would take into account the rapid changing nature of the sports industry. Sports is no longer just entertainment, it has morphed into a lot of things, business, diplomacy and even patriotism.

 

As if to make it clear, Nnauye was not a lone voice, the Prime Minister met with officials of sports associations and members of the National Sports Council at the National Stadium last week. 

 

In the meeting the Premier reinforced the government seriousness in its sports agenda reform. He reminded the gathering leaders and sports scribes that the government sees sports as the biggest employers of youth.

 

It is good to see the government top officials acknowledge the importance and need for reforms in the sports sector. However, acknowledging and showing that the government really cares and is serious about seeing radical reforms in the sectors are two different steps.

 

The role of the state in fixing our sports system cannot be underestimated. Even in drastic times that call for financial prioritising where the sports budget is always among the first casualties, the government still retains a role in promoting sports.

The state cannot hide away from its role in sports because the two biggest catalysts for success, investment and infrastructure can hardly be catered for by the private sectors.

 

On that note, the Premier’s speech was a little bit disappointing to some of us who expected him to announce sweeping reforms. 

 

His speech highlighted problems in the sports industry but apart from mentioning the need for reform, did not touch on the government role. 

Unfortunately, we are all turning into experts of citing problems and challenges but hardly offer strategies on how to get into the solutions. 

 

It is not a surprise that there is hardly a difference in the speeches delivered by a top government official and a common on the street. It is like our politicians want to chant populist statements rather than the hard way needed to get to the solution we need.

 

Reform in sports has become a national anthem, hundreds of thousands of experts offer their opinions but rarely do we see implementation.

That we need reform is beyond argument. First we have to admit we love sports but we are not a sporting nation. In fact, it is only in Tanzania where sports is almost synonymous to football. 

 

Whenever sport is mentioned, we tend to think of football only. We have neglected other sports. This is where the government can play its role in ensuring other sports are extensively played in our schools.

While sports federation can help in their own way in spreading other sports such as volleyball, cricket, golf, hockey, rugby, badminton and many others, it is only the government that can help effective promotion of these games countrywide.

 

The biggest numbers of youth are in public schools under the control of the government. With proper structural reform, we can generate a sufficient talent pool needed to compete at international level.

 

It is true we have problems at the top level but our major flaws remain in the grassroots level. Rather than taking the top-bottom approach by ordering sports federation to sort their mess, the state can play a leading role through a bottom-top approach in our school and colleges where the majority of athletes are.

 

To start with, the state needs to transform the Umisseta and Umitashumta. Do away with the one-week tournament in favour of a year-long sports activities. We cannot produce competitive athletes by relying on one week-tournaments.