We will make it TBF – President

Newly elected Tanzania Basketball Federation’s (TBF) president Musa Mziya said his leadership panel intends to raise awareness of the game from grassroots level.

Mziya, who was accompanied by the body’s vice-president Phares Magesa and assistant secretary general Michael Maluwe, said they have a tough workload ahead.

The TBF president, who used to be a prolific top flight basketball player during his glorious career in the 90s, said construction of courts and training of coaches will be their prime target.

Mziya acknowledged the fact that basketball development and promotion must first and foremost start at the tender age and students are the potential medium towards the breakthrough.

“While we need to plug the game in schools, the initiative must be heavily supported by availability of trained coaches as well,” said Mziya.

Mziya highlighted the need for sponsorship support so as to achieve the intended target.

“The long term projects of grooming future basketball players would certainly need financial injections while TBF does not generate any revenue,” said Mziya.

The new office bearers have also vowed to slot Taifa Cup tournament into its basketball calendar for the season while assisting in the search for sponsorship of the ongoing RBA league.

The leaders have also been in frantic efforts to seek Government support in finding a new office accommodation after hibernating inside the National Sports Council corridors for long spells.

The TBF leadership trio has also sought media support to bring awareness of basketball to the public, possibly in the same threshold like football.

Basketball has of late been a raising sport in terms of popularity across the country only for lack of adequate courts and shortage of trained coaches to backpedal its growth.