TANZANIA's junior cricketers are set to feature in the 2025 Federation of East African Secondary Schools Sports Associations (FEASSSA) Games in Kenya from August 12-22.

The 22nd edition of the FEASSSA Games will be held in Kakamega in the Western region of Kenya. A Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA) official revealed that Team Tanzania will be making history with the first-ever participation at the FEASSSA Games.

According to the official, the squad consisting of 14 boys, 14 girls, and two dedicated coaches will represent the nation with pride, stressing that the youngsters are ready to showcase talent and determination on the regional stage.

Cricket is, for the first time, featuring in the FEASSSA Games as the game's stakeholders in the East African region opt for collective efforts to develop it from the grassroots.

The TCA called on Tanzania's cricket enthusiasts and the rest of the country to rally behind the youngsters as they take on the exciting challenge in Kakamega.

The cricketers making the Tanzania team were selected from the 2025 UMITASHUMTA T20 School Competition, which was played in Iringa from June 8-13. 

Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Morogoro, and Tanga took part in the 2025 UMITASHUMTA T20 School Competition, which aimed at supporting cricket promotion from the grassroots.

The showdown brought together boys and girls, with all clashes played at the Lugalo cricket ground.

According to the TCA, participating sides took on each other in the group stage, consisting of six matches.

The showdown, later, moved to the Super Match phase, as the top-placed squad in the round robin phase locked horns with the third-placed side.

In the phase's other encounter, the second-placed side took on the fourth-placed squad, aiming to make it to the final.

Winners of the Super Match phase progressed to the final, and the phase's losers met in the third-place playoff.

A TCA officer was adamant that the 2025 UMITASHUMTA T20 School Competition is a celebration of youth talent, regional pride, and the spirit of cricket.

For the first time, cricket has been included in the UMITASHUMTA Games, an annual feature, as the government joins forces with TCA to effectively develop the game from the grassroots.

National Sports Council (NSC) Secretary-General Neema Msitha recently revealed that cricket has moreover been included in the school curriculum.

Neema added that since independence, Tanzania has been hosting inter-school sports tournaments and, for the first time, cricket is, from this year, one of the sports to be competed for in the tournaments, namely UMITASHUMTA and National Inter-Secondary Schools (UMISSETA) Games.

The NSC official stated: "Cricket has also been included in the schools' curriculum. The government has moreover handed over enough land to TCA for the construction of two grounds in Dar es Salaam and Iringa because the government believes that with the construction of the venues, pupils, students, and other kids will participate in this sport, given that they will have a good environment for them to practice."

Neema added: "The government is looking forward to providing TCA with land for the construction of a hostel for training camps for national teams and other outfits which will feature in various international tournaments."