Press Release
20 Tanzanians to visit America for U.S. – Tanzania Basketball Coaches’ Exchange
September 28, 2009
The U.S. Embassy has selected twenty Tanzanians from nine regions of Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar for a basketball coaches’ clinic in the United States. The coaches’ delegation is scheduled to depart for the Washington DC on Monday evening, September 28. The “U.S.-Tanzania Basketball Coaches Clinic” provided by the American people will run from September 28 through October 13, 2009 in Washington D.C.; and the states of Virginia; Maryland; and Texas. The delegation of coaches will be led by Juliana Jones Yassoda, Assistant Director of Sports Development, Ministry of Information, Culture and Sports.
The U.S.-Tanzania Basketball Coaches Exchange will provide Tanzanian coaches from Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Morogoro, Dodoma, Arusha, Moshi, Tanga, Unguja, and Pemba the chance to visit to the United States to learn from and share their experiences with basketball leaders and their counterparts.
Speaking at the press conference to announce the exchange, U.S. Embassy Cultural Affairs Officer Karen Grissette said, “I am hopeful that this basketball clinic and its results will further strengthen the ties between the people of Tanzania and the people of America. The U.S. Embassy is committed to encourage the growth of all youth sports in Tanzania through training of coaches and players. We want this exchange and these wonderful coaches to keep motivating young Tanzanians to live healthy and active lives, and become healthy, active, and well-educated adults.”
The coaches will be offered clinics especially targeting youth programs, as well as skills on how to increase youth sports in Tanzania. They will visit primary school, secondary schools, universities, youth centers, and professional centers. They will see not only basketball facilities but other sports complexes and will be briefed on what it takes to organize and run these types of facilities. Additionally, the coaches are expected to have clinics on sports for the disabled, and see a college football game, among many other activities.
The U.S. State Department’s Office of Sports United is organizing the U.S. portion of the visit. The American people are fully funding all costs for this exchange clinic for all participants, at over one hundred thousand dollars. The Sport United Office was also responsible for facilitating the visit in 2008 of NBA and WNBA stars Matt Bonner and Jennifer Azzi, which was the first part of this sports exchange visit.
As a follow on to Matt Bonner’s visit, the group will visit Texas, where San Antonio Spurs Center Matt Bonner will offer another clinic to his friends from Tanzania. The next day, the group will watch Matt Bonner in action as the Spurs play pre-season game on their home court. Those who saw Matt Bonner’s clinic in Dar es Salaam will remember his infectious enthusiasm, his remarkable dribbling and shooting skills, and his friendly and effective coaching style.
In a most exciting revelation, Grissette also announced that on October 6, the group will attend a pre-season game between the Washington D.C. Wizards and Hasheem Thabeet’s Memphis Grizzlies. The delegation of Tanzanians should provide a welcome audience for one of their fellow Tanzanian’s first professional games.
Also speaking at the press conference were Col Iddi Kipingu (rtd), Chairman, National Sports Council of Tanzania, and Lawrence Cheyo, Secretary General, Tanzania Basketball Federation.
A press release from the Tanzania Basketball Federation read in part, “The Tanzania Basketball Federation wishes to express its heartfelt gratitude to the Embassy of the United States to Tanzania for making it possible for coaches from Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar to attend a Basketball clinic in the United States so they can sharpen their coaching skills. There is no doubt this training and clinic will be a catalyst for the development of this game in the country.”
For more information about this program, please contact Halima Mbaruku in the Press Office at the American Embassy at 266-8001ext. 4196.
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