Twenty-two taekwondo players have earned places in Tanzania’s senior and youth national squads after impressing at the Taekwondo Ambassador Cup in Dar es Salaam.
The selection brings together men and women in the senior and youth categories as the Tanzania Taekwondo Federation (TTF) begins preparations for a series of national and international competitions.
TTF president Ally Ramoudh said the players were selected based on their performances at the tournament, which concluded in Dar es Salaam last week.
The senior women’s squad has Veronica Daitha, Dionensia Frances, Lidya Jackson, Ester Mathayo, Moureen Msifuni, Doreen Felician and Zawadi Charles.
The men’s senior squad comprises Babu Saiguran, Damas John, Junior Benard, Erick Vedasto, Mussa Semeni, Paschal Fredy, Yusuph Fikiri, Felix Stephen and Joshua Shela.
In the youth category, Nicolene Oliviero and Brielle Trevor have been selected for the women’s team, while James Marhaba, Enock Tubili, Justin John and Kendrick Ediger make up the men’s squad.
Mr Ramoudh congratulated the selected players and urged them to maintain their training as they prepare for upcoming assignments.
He also called on athletes who missed out on selection to step up their efforts, saying strong performances in future competitions could earn them a place in the national teams.
The latest selection provides the federation with a wider pool of athletes to develop and prepare for international competition, while giving emerging youth players a pathway towards senior-level representation.