Zanzibar is stepping up efforts to establish an Amputee Football Premier League as part of a broader push to expand sporting opportunities for people with limb disabilities.
The Zanzibar Amputee Football Association says the island still faces challenges in developing disability sports, with a shortage of teams and limited competition hindering the growth of the game.
Association president Hassan Silima told The Respondent Online that the immediate focus was to increase the number of teams from the current two to at least four, a requirement he said would pave the way for the launch of a formal league.
“Currently, we do not have a league here, so we have been invited to participate in the Tanzania Mainland Amputee Football Premier League because there is no official league in Zanzibar,” Mr Silima said.
He said the association was conducting awareness campaigns in various districts to identify people with limb disabilities, encourage them to participate in sport and help build a wider pool of players.
Mr Silima said increasing the number of teams would be critical to creating a sustainable competitive structure and giving amputee footballers regular opportunities to compete, develop their skills and showcase their talent.
The association’s efforts have also been supported by a prosthetic limb distribution project funded by partners from India.
A recent camp at Chuwini Hospital provided prosthetic limbs while also creating an opportunity for officials to identify and engage people who could potentially join amputee football.
Mr Silima said the association would continue working with government institutions, development partners and other stakeholders to identify talent and expand participation in disability sports.
He said the establishment of a local premier league would mark an important step in strengthening amputee football in Zanzibar while creating a more structured pathway for players to develop and compete at higher levels.
The association also hopes that a stronger domestic competition will help Zanzibar produce more players capable of representing the island in national and other high-level amputee football competitions.
