The Judo Ambassador Cup is emerging as a key platform for identifying and developing athletes who could form part of Tanzania’s national team, the Tanzania Judo Association (JATA) has said.
The one-day tournament, held yesterday at Don Bosco Hall in Upanga, Dar es Salaam, brought together judokas from clubs in Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, giving JATA an opportunity to assess athletes across different categories.
JATA chairman Richard Ndayirukiye said the competition was not only aimed at promoting judo but also provided an important avenue for identifying athletes with the potential to represent Tanzania at regional and continental level.
“These competitions have enabled us to assess the level of our athletes through their clubs. We congratulate those who finished first, second, third and fourth, and encourage them to continue working hard,” Mr Ndayirukiye said.
He said consistent club-level competitions were essential to the development of a strong national team because they allowed coaches and officials to track athletes’ performances over time.
The competitions, he added, would help JATA establish a broader pool of athletes from which the national team could be selected for East African and African championships.
Mr Ndayirukiye thanked the Japanese Ambassador to Tanzania for supporting the tournament and expressed hope that the competition would become a regular fixture on the national judo calendar.
He also acknowledged the National Sports Council (BMT) for its cooperation and guidance in efforts to strengthen the sport.
“We will continue working with different stakeholders to improve these competitions and increase competitiveness in judo across the country,” he said.
For Aviation Judo Club athlete Abuu Suleimani, the tournament was significant because of the participation of clubs from both Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.
Mr Suleimani said the growing participation of women and young athletes was among the most encouraging developments, arguing that their involvement would be critical to the long-term growth of the sport.
“The participation of women has increased, and that is what we have been advocating for. Women from different age groups have participated in large numbers, while young athletes have also turned up in significant numbers and performed well,” he said.
The tournament brought together about five clubs from Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, including teams associated with the Prisons Service, Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF), Police Force, Aviation Judo Club and clubs from Zanzibar.
With regular competitive events providing athletes with opportunities to test their skills, JATA sees the tournament as part of a broader effort to build a deeper talent pool and strengthen Tanzania’s ability to compete in regional and continental judo events.
