ZANZIBAR First Vice President Othman Massoud Othman has called on jogging groups in the country to establish rules and guidelines for ethical conduct to dispel negative perceptions within the community regarding the participation of all groups in exercise and sports activities.

Speaking at an event marking the tenth anniversary of the Gombani exercise club on Pemba Island, Othman emphasized that having regulations governing ethical conduct in exercise and sports would help many people, especially women, see these areas as safe for them and eliminate misconceptions within the community.

"I urge that we establish regulations to govern ethics which will remove misconceptions in the community so that we can attract more people to participate in exercise because it is a very positive endeavor," Othman stated.

Leading a walk and exercise session with the athletes, Othman noted that the nation incurs significant costs in treating non-communicable diseases caused by lifestyle choices. Increasing community awareness and participation in exercise and sports, he argued, would help reduce these costs.

"This initiative that you are advancing gives us great encouragement because we know you are doing something significant for the community and our country. When it comes to costs, treating non-communicable diseases is very expensive, and you are all witnesses to this," said Othman.

He also emphasized the need to educate the community on nutrition to avoid poor dietary habits that lead to health issues.

"We need to go further in providing nutrition education to the community because many are still facing problems. We have abandoned traditional foods. Some might think traditional foods are outdated. We must move towards self-care and self-love by recognizing what is harmful and what is beneficial to eat," Othman added.

Chake Chake District Commissioner Abdalla Rashid thanked Othman for participating in the event and urged citizens to motivate each other to build a culture of exercise to avoid various non-communicable diseases.

Representing stakeholders, Khairat Haji, a sports program officer from the Tanzania Media Women's Association in Zanzibar (TAMWA-Zanzibar), pointed out that there are still challenges in the community's understanding of the importance of exercise, which leads to barriers for all groups, especially women, to participate fully in exercise and sports.

She also noted the lack of infrastructure and enabling equipment for exercise as a barrier to achieving gender equality in sports, calling on the government and stakeholders to help improve this infrastructure to enable everyone to participate without hindrance.

"There are several challenges we have observed, including the lack of equipment and enabling infrastructure for all groups to participate in various sports," Haji explained.

Hamad Malengo, Gombani jogging club chairman, called on stakeholders to unite in promoting sports and exercise to dispel the misconception that participating in sports is associated with bad behavior.

"Education for the community is needed more to raise awareness about participating in exercise and to move away from the notion that sports are associated with misbehavior. We must stand together so that everyone can participate in exercise for their health," Malengo said.

The event promoting the participation of all genders in exercise and sports, marking the tenth anniversary of the Gombani Fitness Club on Pemba Island, was organized in collaboration with TAMWA-ZNZ and the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation. It featured more than five exercise clubs from Unguja, Tanga, and the host island of Pemba.