The National Sports Council of Tanzania (NSC) has disbursed a total of TZS 5.8 billion over the past three financial years to support national teams and athletes participating in regional and international competitions, as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen Tanzania’s presence in global sports.
The council’s Executive Secretary, Neema Msitha, said the funding has enabled national teams and athletes to participate in major competitions while improving preparations for international events.
According to Msitha, the funds were distributed across three financial years, reflecting increasing investment in the country’s sports sector.
In the 2023/2024 financial year, NSC disbursed TZS 810,175,635 to facilitate participation in various competitions.
The funding increased significantly in the 2024/2025 financial year to TZS 3,803,566,185, while by January in the current 2025/2026 financial year, TZS 1,215,662,139 had already been spent supporting national teams and athletes.
She said the financial support is part of the government’s broader strategy to strengthen sports development by ensuring national teams actively participate in international competitions and represent Tanzania effectively.
“Our national teams have benefited from this support to participate in various international competitions this year,” Msitha said.
Among the teams supported are the national netball team, the national pool table team and the national boxing team.
The council also facilitated the participation of the national football team, Tanzania national football team commonly known as Taifa Stars in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament held in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda in August 2025.
The women’s national football team, Tanzania women's national football team, popularly known as Twiga Stars, also represented the country at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations tournament held in Morocco in July 2025.
The national amputee football team also benefited from the support, enabling them to compete in the East and Central Africa championships held in Burundi in September 2025.
Msitha added that Taifa Stars also received support to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament held in Morocco in December 2025, where the team reached the round of 16.
Other beneficiaries include Singida Black Stars, the national swimming team, the women’s golf team, the Paralympic team, the national volleyball team, the judo team and the national golf team.
Beyond team sports, the funding has also supported individual athletes competing in athletics and boxing competitions.
In athletics, Tanzania’s national team participated in the world championships held in Tokyo, Japan in September 2025, where long-distance runner Alphonce Simbu won a gold medal.
Simbu had earlier finished second in a marathon race held in Shanghai, China in November 2023.
In boxing, Tanzanian boxer Grace Mwakamela made history by becoming the first Tanzanian woman to win a silver medal at the African Boxing Championships held in Yaoundé, Cameroon in 2023.
Another boxer, Yusuf Changalawe also secured a silver medal during the African Olympic qualifying tournament held in April 2024.
Msitha said NSC will continue working closely with sports associations to ensure athletes receive better preparation and exposure to high-level competitions.
She noted that sustained investment in sports development is crucial for nurturing talent, improving performance and strengthening Tanzania’s competitiveness in international sports.