Much as it is strapped for cash, the federation managed to organise competitions for domestic amateur boxers and give the latter opportunity to showcase their potential and gain experience.
The tournaments include the National Club Championship and East Africa Champions tournament, with both events taking place at the Tanganyika Packers grounds in Dar es Salaam.
The competitions turned out to be crucial for domestic boxers’ attempt to pursue success in the sport given the boxers had opportunity to improve their skills.
With BFT still struggling to secure reliable financial support from sports stakeholders, the federation’s officials’ ability to solicit sponsorship from several firms and eventually organise the competitions smoothly is, obviously, worth of praise.
We would, as well, like to congratulate the firms that offered support to BFT in the previous season, given the former’s willingness to join forces with the latter to promote amateur boxing augurs well for the future of the game in the country.
We however insist on the need for the federation to maintain better cooperation with the firm in a bid to attract more support that will help the federation accomplish its duties.
It is obvious that the federation needs more sponsorship in a bid to, among others, continue hosting international competitions and give domestic amateur boxers opportunity to boost their chances of securing qualification for AIBA (International Boxing Association) competitions.
With AIBA having introduced professional boxing competitions, securing opportunity to take part in the events will go a long way in improving Tanzania’s amateur boxers’ performance and well-being.
We call on other sports stakeholders and well-wishers to back the federation’s other initiatives that include the hosting of training courses for boxing coaches.
The federation should strive to ensure domestic amateur boxing coaches attend courses and meet standards set by AIBA.
Presenting domestic amateur boxing coaches with opportunity to attend the AIBA courses will greatly help the former operate more efficiently.
The move will also bring to an end BFT’s dependence on foreign coaches, when it comes to overseeing national amateur boxing team’s participation in major international tournaments.
BFT has been hiring neighbouring countries’ boxing coaches to oversee the national amateur boxing team’s participation in such events like the All Africa Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympics and the move, to some extent, has proved to be detrimental to the team’s chances to perform well in the events.
The federation should do all it can to solicit support to ensure domestic amateur boxing coaches attend AIBA courses and eventually attain the body’s 3-Star certification.
The certification will make the coaches eligible for supervising the national amateur boxing team’s participation in AIBA competitions and all other major events.
It is our hope and prayer that domestic sports stakeholders will feel obliged to back BFT and see to it that the country performs to satisfaction in international boxing competitions and ultimately regain its lost glory in the sport.
_0.jpg?itok=QU87XW8D){kind=tracking}
.jpeg?itok=vCj6bCRe)
