Judo coach gets down to business

Hired Cuban judo coach and sports planner
Jose Valdes Silva is expected to visit the national team’s training camp located at the Kisutu Secondary School in Dar es Salaam today.

The Judo Association of Tanzania’s (JATA) secretary general, Shaaban Kashinde, said the Cuban coach will pay the visit as part of induction to familiarize with players and other judo officials.

The players, who are under tutelage of local coach Kashinde Bundala, are training hard while gearing up for the world championships to be staged in Brazil in September.

Valdes was among three other athletics and boxing coaches who recently signed two-year contracts each and were officially introduced by the Government to respective officials of sports bodies last week.

“Valdes will visit the national team practice session and he will take on the team soon after JATA holds its executive committee meeting,” said Kashinde.

JATA meeting will be held on Sunday to set up plans on how best to utilise the services of the coach and the Brazilian tour.

The players currently training for the world event are   Mohamed Omary, Hajibu Upemba, Meckson Mtui,   Said Salum, Rukia Ibrahim, Ally Fopole, Abou Ramadhan, Habibu Kondo and Lewis Raphael.

Others are Focus Mkude, Mohamed Mtoo, Juma Sufi, Lucas Gaudence, John William, Kassim Yusuph, Mussa Myovela, Omary Mgowe and Innocent Malya.