Tanzania's National Sports Council (NSC) is seeking to establish a strategic partnership with France's National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance (INSEP) as part of efforts to strengthen sports talent identification and athlete development.
The initiative is aimed at helping Tanzania build a stronger pathway for discovering, nurturing and developing young athletes while improving the country's performance in regional and international competitions.
NSC Executive Secretary Neema Msitha visited the Paris-based institution on Monday, where discussions focused on potential areas of collaboration, including sports science, talent identification, athlete development and institutional capacity building.
INSEP is one of France's leading high-performance sports institutions, responsible for supporting the country's elite sports system through specialised training, sports medicine, scientific research, psychological support and education programmes that prepare athletes both for competition and life after sport.
Speaking after the visit, Msitha said the institution's experience presents valuable opportunities that could help strengthen Tanzania's sports development system.
"The visit has exposed us to numerous opportunities for cooperation, particularly in sports research, talent identification, athlete development and strengthening the systems that support sporting excellence in Tanzania," she said.
She added that learning from internationally recognised institutions such as INSEP would help Tanzania build a sustainable sports development framework capable of producing athletes who can compete successfully on the global stage.
INSEP Director Babak Amir-Tahmasser said the institute was ready to collaborate with the NSC by sharing its expertise and experience in high-performance sports development.
He said cooperation between the two institutions could focus on strategic programmes that improve athlete performance, coaching standards and the application of sports science.
During the visit, INSEP's Head of International Projects, Sean Gandrille, took the Tanzanian delegation on a tour of the institute's state-of-the-art training facilities, highlighting the advanced infrastructure and integrated support services used to prepare France's elite athletes for international competitions.
The visit underscores the NSC's efforts to strengthen international partnerships as Tanzania seeks to modernise its sports development system, improve talent identification and enhance the competitiveness of its athletes on the global stage.
