Physical disability didn't stop the players of Tembo Warriors from pursuing their dream of becoming professional football players in Tanzania. The team manager said they have got the qualifications to participate in the 2022 Amputee Football World Cup.
DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- For 26-year-old Khalfan Kianga, the sky is the limit when it comes to playing football. Kianga, who lost a leg after he was involved in an accident when he was a child, said his dream is to become a world-class football star.
"My love for football started when I was in primary school before I was involved in the accident that led to the amputation of right leg. The loss of my leg did not discourage me from pursuing my dream of becoming a professional footballer," Kianga told Xinhua in an interview in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.
Kianga, a father of one child, is among 30 athletes with disabilities, mostly leg amputees, recruited by the Tembo Warriors, a state-run national football team for amputees. Tembo means elephant in the local language Swahili.
A soft-spoken Kianga said after the accident, he continued to play football during his stint in secondary school but the challenge was that he had to play the much loved game with his physically fit fellow students.
Players of Tanzania national amputee football team attend a training session in a stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Jan. 26, 2021. (Xinhua)
"The establishment of the state-run football team for amputees opened a new chapter for me of pursuing my dream of becoming a football star," said Kianga.
He said after he joined Tembo Warriors he started to collect some glittering football trophies, including four local tournaments and the 2019 Cup of African Nations for Amputee Football held in Angola.
"My dream is to become an excellent football player, so I always do exercises according to instructions given by my team manager in collaboration with other coaches," said Kianga.
"I am dreaming of playing professional football abroad. For me, the sky is the limit," said Kianga, adding: "The secret behind my success is hard work on training exercises. I do personal exercises at home and at the training ground with the coaches."
Players of Tanzania national amputee football team attend a training session in a stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Jan. 26, 2021. (Xinhua)
The footballer, currently working in the transportation business using a three-wheeler motorcycle, is appealing to sponsors to financially support the Tembo Warriors like they support the east African nation's big teams.
Mathias Jolo, Tembo Warriors' team manager, said the team was founded in Tanzania in 2019 after authorization by the World Amputee Football Federation.
The manager said most of the players had amputations after they were involved in road accidents involving motor vehicles and motorcycles.
"Tembo Warriors is sponsored by the government and well-wishers," said Jolo, adding that there is no age limit for joining the team.
He said: "The team is formed by disabled players, mostly amputees, aged from 20 years to 36 years, but we can also recruit people aged 40 years old and even 50 years old as long as they are strong and able to play."
According to Jolo, the players train in weekdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m, and outfield players may have two hands but only one leg, whereas goalkeepers may have two feet but only one hand.
Players of Tanzania national amputee football team attend a training session in a stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Jan. 26, 2021. (Xinhua)
"But there's a mixture of those, who for instance, haven't lost their legs but they have short legs," he said.
There are many challenges the team is facing including funding, said Jolo, adding that one of the major challenges is the attitudes of the general public.
"But the situation is much better as people realize the contribution of this team after we performed very well in international tournaments. Actually our players are very enthusiastic like players in any other competitions and they are very disciplined," said Jolo.
After the Tembo Warriors was established, the team has participated in several regional and international tournaments for amputee football and the team is qualified to participate in the 2022 Amputee Football World Cup, according to Jolo. ■
