Dar to open sports museum

Joyce Mkinga, the NMT Principal Public Relations Officer, disclosed the development at the Olympic Day Forum which was held in Dar es Salaam.

Joyce pointed out the sports museum is one of the ways of preserving and celebrating the country's sports heritage.

The official, who represented NMT Director General, Noel Lwoga, in the forum, said having a sports museum is accomplished under their strategic objectives plan for 2021/22-2025/26 which is aimed at promoting and strengthening stakeholders' involvement in museum development.

She said sports exhibition at National Museum of Tanzania is not a new phenomen as the institution had such exhibition several years ago.

Joyce disclosed that the NMT wishes to restitute it and in future have an entire sports museum in the country.

The NMT official disclosed that they have already started formal communication with stakeholders including Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, and football clubs such as Yanga and Simba SC.

Joyce noted: “The NMT is a cultural and educational institution charged with duties of collecting, researching, preserving and disseminating information of cultural and natural heritage of the public through exhibition, publications and educational programs.''

She stated: ''The NMT is tasked with preserving natural and cultural heritage of our country including different kinds of sports.''

She said NMT is honoured to work together with Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) in promoting history of sports in the country through exhibition.

She disclosed the institution hopes that the TOC forum will make a strong foundation towards seeing to it the institutions work smoothly.

In his presentation, titled 'Preserving and Celebrating Our Sports Heritage', Director of National Museum, Achiles Bufumu, said in the country's sports policies are national heritage.

He noted that sports play an important role to people, specifically in the country.

He divided his presentation into three categories, Before Colonialism, During Colonialism and Struggle/Movement for independence.

Bufumu, who also represented Lwoga, said before colonialism sports were used to bring good feelings, help people have a voice and also serve as a source of expression.

He said during colonialism, sports were used for recreation and socialism, a situation which led to the introduction of foreign sports such as football, basketball, volleyball, tennis and other foreign sporting activities.

Bufumu went on to say that during the time of struggle for independence, sports were used to reclaim people's identities, reclaiming African humanity from all colonial shackles of oppression.

He stated: “During the time of struggle and movement of independence, sports played a big role in the country and many Southern African countries, Young Africans SC (Yanga), and Wananchi Sports Club of Zanzibar were used to demand for independence.''

''People should remember Tanzania in 1976 denied and boycotted international sports events, including Olympics, as it was the year Massacre took place in Soweto, South Africa,'' he said.