TWELVE teams, both men's and women's hockey squads from various regions in Tanzania, participated in the four-day 13th Edition of the Mwalimu Nyerere Hockey Championship 2024.

The event was held from October 11 to 14 at the Sikh Union Club grounds in Moshi.

During the opening ceremony, Tanzania Hockey Association (THA) Chairperson Kaushik Doshi applauded the organizers, sponsors, and participants for their efforts in making the tournament a success. 

Doshi, who also serves as an Executive Board Member of the African Hockey Federation, highlighted the significant participation of women's teams in this year’s edition, stressing the importance of promoting hockey among young women and girls in Tanzania.

"As you have seen today, twelve teams are participating in this year’s Nyerere Hockey Tournament, and among them are four women's teams from Dar es Salaam - namely Ilala, Temeke, Twende, and the TPDF. This is a move aimed at encouraging school children, young ladies, and women in Tanzania to engage in hockey sports," Doshi explained.

He also listed the eight men’s teams that took part in the event, including Moshi Khalsa and Kili Vijana from Kilimanjaro, the Tanzania People’s Defense Forces (TPDF), Ngome, Twende, and Black Mamba from Dar es Salaam, Arusha Twigas from Arusha, and Tanga Stars from Tanga.

Event official Kanwalpal Kalsi, speaking on behalf of the organizers, shared that the tournament not only commemorates the late Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, but also aims to raise the standards of hockey in Tanzania.

"As you can see, everything is going smoothly in this 13th Edition of the Nyerere Hockey Championship. We have also encouraged young hockey players from local primary schools to participate. If the Tanzanian government supports us, we are confident that we will achieve even greater success in national and international hockey competitions," Kalsi stated.

He further emphasized the need for Tanzania to invest in hockey, similar to the level of investment seen in football, noting the lack of standard hockey grounds (Astro Turf) in the country.

Kalsi, who also serves as the Assistant Treasurer for the Sikh Union Club of Moshi, acknowledged that this year's tournament was fully sponsored by the Sikh Community of Moshi and organized by the Sikh Union Club. The event was hosted by Moshi Khalsa, one of Tanzania's leading hockey sides.

Meanwhile, the veteran hockey player and official of the tournament encouraged Moshi residents, particularly youth in primary and secondary schools, to take up the sport. 

He mentioned that while many are interested, there are challenges in accessing proper sports gear and learning the game. However, the Sikh Union Club and Khalsa Sports Club are ready to offer support, including providing equipment, coaching, and playing grounds at no cost, to promote hockey in the Kilimanjaro region.

“We have also brought in referees from Kenya for this tournament to ensure the quality of officiating,” he added.

TPDF assistant hockey coach Abdallah Katundu and TPDF Ladies team captain Prisca Mwita both praised the development of hockey in Tanzania but acknowledged that challenges remain, including the high cost of hockey gear.