Kigoma, Mara win CRDB Basketball Taifa Cup 2024
Dodoma Regional Commissioner, Rosemary Senyamule (in a grey track suit), presents the championship trophy to Mara team captain, Sarah Budodi, after winning the CRDB National Cup in Dodoma. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- For their victories, both Kigoma and Mara were awarded Sh7 million each by the tournament sponsors, CRDB Bank, along with a trophy.
Dar es Salaam. The Kigoma men’s team and Mara women’s team emerged champions of the CRDB Basketball Taifa Cup, which concluded on Saturday night at Chinangali Stadium in Dodoma.
Kigoma won the title after recording a 58-54 win against Dodoma, while Mara faced tough competition to edge out Unguja 57-56 in an exciting match.
For their victories, both Kigoma and Mara were awarded Sh7 million each by the tournament sponsors, CRDB Bank, along with a trophy.
Dodoma, which made its second consecutive appearance in the men’s final, received Sh4 million, as did Unguja.
The Dodoma Regional Commissioner, Rosemary Senyamule, presented the awards to the winners alongside the president of the Tanzania Basketball Federation (TBF), Michael Kadebe, and Emmanuel Kiondo, Head of Communications and Public Relations at CRDB Bank.
In the women’s category, Nelious Mbugeni from Arusha won the ‘Best Rookie of the Year’ award, while Minja Riad Msuya from Mtwara won the same award in the men’s category, with each receiving Sh200,000.
The Best Defender award for women went to Tumaini Ndossi from Unguja, while for men it was awarded to Fortius Ngaiza, with each receiving Sh300,000.
The Top Scorer award for women was given to the renowned player Jesca Julius from Mara, and for men, it went to Tyrone Edward from Kigoma, each receiving Sh300,000.
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for women went to Noela Renatus from Unguja, and for men, it was Amini Mkosa from Kigoma, with each receiving Sh500,000.
All these awards were provided by the main sponsor of the tournament, CRDB Bank. Speaking after the tournament, Jesca Julius said the competition was very fierce and showed significant growth in the sport. “The sport has grown a lot, and we still need more sponsors to support it.
CRDB Bank and Azam TV have done a great job so far in sponsoring and promoting the game. We appeal for more sponsors,” said Jesca, who led Mara to success.
The bank has decided to support the event as part of its involvement in corporate social investment policy. Besides developing the sport, the bank also emphasises education for the youth, a policy that began in 2020 during the launch of the event for the first time.
In addition to offering opportunities for young people to showcase their talents and improve their health through the tournament, the bank has also been offering scholarships to various colleges in the country through the tournament.
