By Victoria Godfrey
Graduates of a recent beach soccer coaching course have been encouraged to start teams in their workplaces to help grow the sport in Tanzania.
Speaking at the closing ceremony today, March 14, 2025, Brigadier General Simon Pigapiga, Director of Human Resources at the Tanzania People's Defence Forces (JWTZ), urged the graduates to use their skills to develop new talent and promote the game. He handed out certificates to participants from different military units.
“We hope to see more beach soccer teams coming up from different areas and competing at the national level,” he said. He also promised that the military would continue to support the sport’s development.
Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) President Wallace Karia congratulated the graduates and said this was just the beginning.
He announced that TFF plans to bring in an international instructor from Asia, Twalib Hilali, to conduct more training sessions.
“Our goal is to offer more courses, not just in coaching but also in management and administration, to strengthen the sport,” Karia said.
He noted that Tanzania currently ranks sixth in Africa and 39th in the world in beach soccer, which shows that there is still work to be done to improve the country's position.
Karia also pointed out that some countries include military personnel in their national teams, and Tanzania could explore a similar approach to build a strong national team.
The training course, organized by TFF in partnership with the military, started on March 5, 2025. It involved 24 participants, including officers and soldiers from different military units.
