The Tanzania Boxing Federation (BFT) has announced plans to open the year by hosting the National Women’s Boxing Championship, set to take place at the end of January in Handeni District, Tanga Region.
Speaking to The Respondent Online, BFT Secretary General Makore Mashaga said the championship aims to strengthen women’s participation in sports, particularly boxing, while narrowing the gap between the number of female and male boxers at the national level.
Mashaga said the competition will also be used to identify outstanding female boxers who will form the national women’s boxing team. The selected athletes will then undergo intensive preparations ahead of various international tournaments scheduled for later this year.
He said the federation is finalizing preparations, including issuing official invitation letters to all member regions to allow them to begin training their boxers in good time. The letters are expected to be distributed from Monday next week.
Mashaga explained that the decision to organize a women-only national championship follows the low participation of female boxers in previous national competitions.
He said BFT believes the event will provide a strong platform to motivate more women to join the sport and showcase their talent.
He added that BFT will conduct a nationwide awareness campaign in collaboration with regional sports officers to encourage greater participation by women boxers across the country.
According to Mashaga, once the women’s championship concludes, the federation will proceed to organize the National Men’s Boxing Championship, which will also focus on selecting a national team to represent Tanzania in international competitions.