THE Tanzania Netball Association (CHANETA) has begun identifying male players who will represent the country at the upcoming Africa Netball Championships, scheduled to take place at the end of November this year in Lilongwe, Malawi.

This marks the first time Tanzania will field a men's national team in the continental championship.

CHANETA chairperson Devotha Marwa confirmed the development in a recent interview, stating that the process of selecting players is ongoing and is being conducted through various tournaments organized by the association.

“We will have our male national netball team competing in the Africa Netball Championships in Malawi. As an association, we have started identifying players through tournaments we are currently hosting,” she said.

Marwa added that details about the team’s training camp, selected players, and technical panel will be announced in due course.

This will be only the second time that Africa Netball hosts a continental competition for men, and the event will run concurrently with the women’s games. 

The tournament is slated to take place from late November to early December in Malawi.

According to Marwa, Tanzania currently has eight male netball clubs - a notable growth from zero when she took office in 2018. 

She described the rise of male participation in the sport as one of the key achievements of her leadership.

“Our male netball teams have been performing well internationally. Last year, the national men’s team finished second at the East Africa Netball Championships in Kenya,” she noted.

Marwa emphasized that increasing male involvement in netball is crucial for gender inclusivity and sporting balance in the country.

“Just as girls are now playing football, it’s important that boys are given the platform to play netball. We need more male players, coaches, umpires, and administrators in netball,” she said.

She also acknowledged that stigma and outdated perceptions - that netball is a sport only for women - have discouraged many men from participating in the game, both locally and globally.

Male netball follows the same structure and rules as the women's version, with the only notable difference being attire - male players wear shorts and T-shirts instead of dresses or skirts.

Marwa further revealed that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has advised World Netball (WN) to promote inclusivity by incorporating men in the sport, a move aimed at increasing the chances of netball becoming an Olympic discipline.