Sport in Tanzania
Tanzania is located in the East African region in the area known as the African Great Lakes. Tanzania is known for the Kilimajaro Mountain, the highest peak in all of Africa.
As with most of Africa, Tanzania is known for their runners. Suleiman Nyambui and Filbert Bayi, two of the biggest names in Tanzanian Track and Field, both won Olympic medals for the country in 1980. Tanzania is also a powerhouse in the Commonwealth Games and the African Championships in Athletics.
Football is another sport that enjoys a large fan base in the country. It is very popular among the youth, this despite the fact that their national team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup and was less than stellar in their single appearance in the 1980 African Cup of Nations.
Basketball is also quite popular but is played mostly in schools and in the army. Hasheem Thabeet, who plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the US National Basketball Association, is the first Tanzanian-born player to join the NBA. Cricket's popularity is also growing fast mainly after they hosted the 2008 ICC Cricket League division 4. Rugby is also slowly growing in Tanzania and used to be a part of the East Africa team. The home of Rugby in Tanzania, Arusha, also was the staging place for the 2007 Castel Beer Trophy competition.
Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Tanzania. Is there something missing? If you know of something that should be listed here, please let us know.
Popular sports of Tanzania
- Track and Field (running), Football (Soccer), basketball, cricket, netball, rugby union
Tanzania Sporting Success
Great athletes from Tanzania
- Hasheem Thabeet (basketball)
- Filbert Bayi (athletics)
- Juma Ikangaa (marathon)
Tanzania Sports trivia
- At the first Cricket World Cup in England 1975, a team from East Africa competed, which included players from Tanzania.
Tanzania at major events
Past sporting events hosted in Tanzania
Upcoming sporting events in Tanzania
- 2027 African Cup of Nations (Football) - co-host with Kenya and Uganda
Annual sporting events held in Tanzania
Sporting Facilities in Tanzania
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