Only Netball, Women’s Football Teams Qualify for Maputo Event

The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)

Suleiman Jongo

29 June 2011

With three months remaining before the start of the All-Africa Games to be held in Maputo, Mozambique, only netball and women’s football teams have so far qualified for the Games.Tanzania is expected to feature seven teams in the forthcoming event held after every four years, and this year they will be held from September 3 to 18.

Except for women’s soccer and netball, competitors in the remaining events– athletics, judo, cycling, swimming and table tennis– are yet to qualify. The Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC), the main games’ coordinator, says the women’s soccer team has already qualified while netballers have no qualifications for the games.

“The netballers have sailed through automatically as there are no qualifying marks set for them, but the rest have to toil for qualification,” said TOC secretary general Filbert Bayi.However, he hoped that athletes from the remaining sporting events will qualify for the games.

“It’s my sincere hope that they will manage to qualify for the games”, said Bayi, a former renowned athlete.

The 10th All-Africa Games will see athletes from across the continent competing for supremacy in various sports disciplines.

Initially, Zambia was named host to the 10th Games by the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa at a meeting held in Algeria.But in December 2008 the Zambian government withdrew its offer due to lack of funds, before Mozambique stepped in to take its place.The Maputo 2011 All Africa Games will feature 23 events, two of which will be for the disabled (athletics and swimming).

While most venues will be located in and around Maputo, the canoeing and rowing events’ venue will be Chidenguella Lagoon, 275 km north of the city.

AllAfrica – All the Time