The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Culture and Sports has urged the government to increase the number of sports stadiums in the country to reduce congestion and the heavy use of the few existing facilities.
Committee chairperson Husna Sekiboko made the call during a committee visit, saying that the limited number of major stadiums has led to excessive use, causing some of them to wear out quickly.
She noted that large stadiums such as Benjamin Mkapa Stadium and Uhuru Stadium continue to host a large number of sporting events, often beyond their capacity.
Although other facilities exist, including Azam Complex and stadiums owned by some local government authorities such as the one used by KMC FC Sekiboko said they are still not enough to meet the increasing demand for sports activities in the country.
“There has been overreliance on a few stadiums to host multiple competitions, which affects the quality and durability of the infrastructure. There is a need for the government and sports stakeholders to continue investing in the construction of more stadiums to reduce this pressure,” she said.
She added that participation in sports has grown significantly in recent years compared with the past, when sporting activities were largely perceived as being for men.
According to her, women are now increasingly taking part in different sports, including football, which has contributed to the growing demand for sports facilities.
Sekiboko said increasing the number of stadiums would help improve sports services, nurture talents and provide more opportunities for citizens to participate in sports activities.
She also recommended the introduction of a regular maintenance schedule for stadiums to ensure they are repaired on time instead of being closed for long periods once they deteriorate.
According to her, such a system would help protect the value of public funds invested in the construction and rehabilitation of sports infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Paul Makonda, said the ministry is holding discussions with the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) on plans to install the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam and another stadium in Arusha.
He said the move aims to strengthen fairness and improve the quality of football competitions in the country.
Makonda also said the electricity challenges previously experienced at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium have been resolved after the installation of three generators.
He explained that two of the generators are large and one is smaller, ensuring a reliable power supply even in the event of technical faults or power outages.
