Editorial

Time to reflect on our Olympic misery

THE Olympic Games are upon us again. And once again, many sports fans are becoming addicted to watching these athletes from 204 countries around the world. 

This addiction is a global phenomenon and you are simply among the many who fix their minds on these extraordinary athletic endeavours, which mean little in the course of civilization but everything in those fleeting moments of drama.

And as we enter the final days of the London 2012 Olympics, there is as expected a huge debate on the performance of the Tanzania team. Already, four of our seven athletes have kissed the quadrennial games bye-bye.
 
And Tanzania hopes for medals has now remained solely in marathon, when three men runners will on Sunday try their fortune in a bid to end a 32-year Olympic medal hunger. Tanzania's marathoners, who are set to fly the country's flag in the London Games, are Samson Ramadhani, Mohamed Msenduki and Faustine Mussa. 

It should be remembered that 1980 was Tanzania's most successful year ever, with Filbert Bayi winning silver in the 3,000m steeplechase and Suleiman Nyambui winning bronze in the 5,000m. Such feat has never been repeated and clearly many Tanzanians would wish our athletes to win at-least a single medal.

The Olympics are often a cause for national pride, no matter which nation is involved; this is why every individual would wish to see athletes representing his or her nation step up at the podium and national anthem played when athlete is adorned with a medal.

Watching through the ongoing games in London one cannot help but look back with despair at how Tanzania used to do so well on the international level. For the past three decades Tanzania has failed to put up performance that warrant any hope for medals in Olympics.

What rational explanation can our sports leaders possibly raise to defend a failure to nurture new talents or better still how can they possibly explain a failure to invest in sports at the current magnitude? This is terribly disappointing and our leaders ought to be ashamed of themselves. 

The government also needs to think critically about sports development. Tanzanians have great talents but how to develop them seems too far. Nothing can ever move forward unless there is commitment from both the government and individuals to support sports.