Former Manchester United player and retired footballer, world, Rio Ferdinand has been presented with a special Dar City team jersey at an event held in Dar es Salaam as part of strengthening football development cooperation between Tanzania and England.
The event, was hosted by former Dar City player and President of the Tanzania Basketball Federation (TBF), Hasheem Thabeet.
The event, has been described as the beginning of a broader partnership aimed at promoting sports in the country through investment, exchange of experiences and developing young talents. Rio Ferdinand, who once played as a defender for Manchester United and the England national team, has expressed interest in the efforts being made in Tanzania to promote the sports sector.
In their conversation, Ferdinand and Thabeet emphasized the importance of using sports as a bridge for social and economic development.
They also expressed their commitment to collaborate on various programs that will help young people get better training, in line with the use of technology in developing modern sports.
In addition, the leaders discussed the importance of establishing sports clinics, international exchange programs and building sustainable training systems for talented youth.
The main goal is to provide a wider opportunity for Tanzanian youth to showcase their abilities on international platforms.
The Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Paul Makonda, has commended the move and said it is a good start to opening doors for sports development in the country through international cooperation.
He said the presence of influential people in sports can increase motivation and bring about significant changes for Tanzanian youth.
Makonda said the government will continue to support efforts aimed at improving sports infrastructure and developing youth talents.
He said the cooperation could be a source of increasing employment opportunities and development for youth who are involved in various sports
