U.S. SPORTS DIPLOMACY AND TANZANIAN ALUMNI SPONSOR BASKETBALL CLINICS

On May 25, Public Affairs Officer Dana L. Banks donated 50 basketballs to the "Mambo Basketball Club," an organization founded by Bahati Mgunda, one of 20 alumni coaches of the 2009 Sports Envoys Program.  During their exchange program, the coaches toured NBA camps, community basketball centers in several American cities, and attended local and professional games.  Other alumni present included Everest Mapunda, Hamidu Halekwa, and Aime Maulidi.  The event was also attended by Tanzania Basketball Federation (TBF) president Mussa Mziya.

Ms. Banks noted: "Since their return from the Sports Envoys Program, the coaches have implemented over four NBA programs sponsored by TBF in partnership with the U.S. Department of State and corporate sponsors.  We congratulate these alumni for their winning vision to implement basketball clinics, which include participation by Tanzanian girls and highlight the sport's lessons of discipline, perseverance, teamwork, how to win, and how to lose but come back to compete again."  The basketballs will be used this summer by the "Mambo Basketball Club" for youth camps this summer in Mwanza, Musoma, Arusha and Pemba.

Left to right: U.S. Embassy Alumni Coordinator Rehema Kalinga; Bolton Balton, Mwananchi Communications; Aime Maulidi; Meg Meiners; Bahati Mgunda, "Mambo Basketball Club" coach/alumnus; Gidibo Tindwa, coach/alumnus; Public Affairs Officer Dana L. Banks; Evarist Mapunda; Hamidu Halikwe; U.S. Embassy Cultural Affairs Assistant Honory Jerome; and TBF vice president Phares Magesa.