TSA challenged to organise many youth competitions

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Swimming Association (TSA) has been advised to consider organising many competitions that will involve budding swimmers of different age groups.

Speaking at the just concluded Taliss Swimming Championship, Bluefins founder-cum-trainer Rahim Alidina exhorted the TSA to turn its focus on youth competitions if they want to genuinely take the sport out of the doldrums.

Swimming has not seen a significant growth with the TSA seemingly lacking the nous to unearth and groom talents. Most of the country’s representatives at various international competitions are not its direct products.

“Swimming can’t grow in the country if the TSA continues to run national matters this way. I think it is high time leaders became proactive as far as promotion of the sport is concerned,” said the trainer.

“The TSA organises three tournaments only in a year and you expect swimming to grow! Nope, it is high time the body came with a new plan that will help swimming make a stride.

“The best way to promote swimming is to turn on the youth and organise multiple competitions countrywide. We can’t get the finest swimmers if the TSA depends on the three events they organise per annum. Olympic medals will certainly continue to be elusive if the TSA still has the business-as-usual mentality.” He added: “We have a lot of talented swimmers in the country, but do they have enough platforms to grow as complete swimmers? We need the TSA to concentrate on the young athletes.”

The TSA organises the National Swimming Championship, Union Swimming Championship and Open Championship in a year.

“I have seen the TSA calendar; it has three competitions only in a year. We can’t make a stride with this number of competitions,” said Alidina.

“Take an example of South Africa, they have regular age-based championships, which enable swimmers to grow and graduate to another age group. That is the best model for the TSA to adapt.”

Alidina named Bluefins swimmers who managed to win medals at the Taliss championship as Sahal Harunani who won one silver and three bronze medals, Reem Khan (one silver) and Ralph Sereki (bronze). “We are proud of the swimmers as we managed to win six medals here. It is still a work in progress, but we expect that in a year’s time, our club will produce some of the best swimmers in the country,” he said.