As schools from across East Africa converge in Morogoro for the 2026 Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) Games, a resident believes Tanzania’s struggles in school sports stem from the loss of a generation of leaders who once placed a strong emphasis on nurturing young talent.Download Our MozzartSport App For More NewsMohammed Said, popularly known as Mzee Mody, a Morogoro resident and an ardent Young Africans supporter, argues that the death of former Member of Parliament and educationist Rev. Dr. Gertrude Rwakatare in April 2020 marked a turning point for Tanzania’s school sports.##NAJAVA_MECA_9889579##Said, who works as a driver at Springs Hills Hotel in Morogoro and serves as secretary general of the Young Africans supporters’ branch in Mafiga, says Tanzania once had a strong reputation across East Africa in football, rugby sevens, netball, basketball and athletics, but believes that momentum has gradually faded.“Tanzania used to be a powerhouse in school games when the late honourable was present. Her death killed the sport in the country because we remained with people who only care about themselves,” Said told Mozzart Sport.Rwakatare, who died on 20 April, 2020, aged 69, was the founder of the St Mary’s Schools network and a prominent figure in Tanzania’s education, religious and political circles.She had been appointed to Parliament in 2007 and remained a member until her death.Her influence on school sports was closely associated with the rise of St Mary’s International Schools, which she founded in Dar es Salaam in the late 1990s before the network expanded to other parts of the country.TACTICAL ANALYSIS: Aboubacar Doumbia and the inverted full-back blueprint at Tusker FC that might rock FKFPLThe schools became a prominent force in inter-school competitions, with their teams competing strongly in several disciplines.For Said, the success of that era was not simply a result of having talented students. He believes the difference came from the investment, organisation and ambition that went into developing those youngsters.“Before 2020, Tanzania was building a name in rugby sevens, football, netball, basketball and athletics. We had schools that could compete with the best in the region, but that spirit is no longer there as it was before,” he said.The decline, in his view, is particularly visible when Tanzanian schools compete against their Kenyan and Ugandan counterparts at regional level.##NAJAVA_MECA_9889573##While Tanzania continues to produce talented athletes and footballers, he feels the structures required to translate that talent into regional success consistently have weakened.Rwakatare built the school network around an education model that placed emphasis not only on academics but also on extracurricular activities, creating an environment where talented youngsters could develop their sporting abilities.The network grew from its first school in Tabata, Dar es Salaam, into a wider group with institutions in several regions, including Morogoro, Mbeya, Dodoma and Mwanza. Its growth coincided with a period when St Mary’s teams became regular competitors in major school competitions.The death of its founder in 2020 therefore represented a major loss to an institution that had become closely associated with the development of young talent.AFC Leopards announce ticket prices for friendly with Ugandan giantsWhile the schools have continued to operate, their sporting influence has not matched the heights associated with the earlier period.Said believes the lesson from that period is that school sports require deliberate investment and committed leadership if Tanzania is to regain its place among East Africa’s strongest sporting nations.He also sees the FEASSSA Games as an opportunity for Tanzania to reassess its approach.With teams from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the host nation competing in Morogoro, the regional championships provide a direct measure of the strength of school sports across East Africa.Former FIFA referee warns against labelling every officiating error as match fixingFor a local who has watched the competitions over the years, the concern is not about a lack of sporting talent in Tanzania but about whether the country is doing enough to identify, nurture and retain that talent.“Tanzania has the talent. What we need is people who believe in these young players and are ready to invest in them. If we can do that again, our schools can compete with any one in East Africa,” Said added.
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