Speaking during the maiden Saint Patrick Sports Academy Day, the athletics governing body’s Secretary General, Wilhelm Gidabuday said here that, since Arusha has established a sports academy aimed at grooming the youth in sports, it was vital for the centre to be linked with IAA so that it can assist technically.
“We are writing to IAA to come to Arusha to inspect the Saint Patrick Sport Academy, which is the first in the country, so that the international Association can include the centre as one of the various sports training facilities to be used by even other youths from different countries,” said Gidabuday.
The Director of the St Patrick Sports Centre, Dinnah Patrick said the new academy covers all forms of sports, but it majors on athletics because Arusha is the breeding ground of the country’s best athletes.
The institution will mostly focus on this type of activity in effort to reclaim the country’s glory. “And that is why we started with athletics competition to mark St Patrick Day, but in the coming week other activities like soccer, volleyball, basketball, netball, tug-of-war, table tennis and others will follow,” she said, adding that the climax will take place next Saturday during the official, International St Patrick Day.
A total of six primary and secondary schools in Arusha City participated in the Sports Day held towards celebrating the global 2018 Saint Patrick Day, coming up on the 17th of March and the Arusha based Saint Patrick Schools organised the athletics event in preparation for the climax next Saturday.
Participating schools, include Ilboru Secondary, Winning Spirit, Maranatha, New-Life Olosiva, Kaloleni Primary and the host Saint Patrick of Sakina- Kwa-Idd.
The three competing categories included the 7 kilometres race for the 14 and 17 years (secondary schools); 10 to 13 years (senior primary) who ran the 2 kilometres race which was also covered by those aged between 6 to 9 years in lower primary