TOC general election now to take place on February 28
Njombe Regional Commissioner Anthony Mtaka
What you need to know:
- The election was cancellation by the acting registrar of clubs and sports associations due constitutional issues. However, the TOC made amendment and is now waiting for endorsement from the registrar of clubs and sports association.
Dar es Salaam. The general election for the Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) will now take place on February 28, following the approval of constitutional amendments during the general meeting held last Saturday.
Initially, the elections were scheduled for December 14 and later postponed to December 28. However, they were canceled due to the electoral process beginning before the TOC constitution was ratified.
The election was cancellation by the acting registrar of clubs and sports associations due constitutional issues. However, the TOC made amendment and is now waiting for endorsement from the registrar of clubs and sports association.
"Once the registrar approves it, our election committee will resume the electoral process to elect new TOC leaders for the next four years," said Bayi.
Candidates and election process
When the previous election process was halted, 27 candidates were vying for various positions, including four who had taken nomination forms for the presidency. The presidential candidates included Njombe Regional Commissioner Anthony Mtaka, who was competing against outgoing TOC Vice President Henry Tandau, as well as Nasra Mohammed and Michael Washa.
For the vice presidency, two candidates from Zanzibar had expressed interest, while others competed for 10 committee member positions.
However, the entire election process will restart, with all candidates refunded their nomination fees.
The general meeting
The regular general meeting, opened by TOC president Gulam Rashid, was attended by leaders of over 40 sports associations and federations from Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania. Apart from the constitution, the meeting also addressed TOC’s performance over the past four years, including supporting athletes who secured Olympic Solidarity scholarships since 2022 to prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The athletes include marathoners Alphonce Simbu, Gabriel Geay, and Failuna Matanga, judoka Andrew Thomas Mlugu, and swimmer Hilal Hemed Hilal. Additionally, athletes Magdalena Shauri and Jackline Sakilu benefited from a seven-month scholarship after meeting the qualifying standards.
