HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Tanzania Paralympic Committee (TPC) has a long illustrious history going back to early 1980s whereby in 1983 the former National Stadium Manager Mr. Chabanga Hassan Dyamwale coordinated a meeting with persons with disabilities and gave the idea of forming and establishing Sports board for persons with disability in Tanzania. Hence, establishment of Sports Association for Disabled of Tanzania (SAD)
After the establishment of SAD, between 1983 to 1986 much have been done, but few of them to be remembered are the participation of Tanzanian PWD in the Equestrian Sport - Norway (1984), participation in wheelchair Racing-Sweden (1986) the organization and implementation of the first National Sports Bonanza (1986) in Dar es Salaam of which several persons with disability from all over Tanzania participated, and the participation to the Paralympic games in Barcelona (1992).
Between the period 1987 to 1999, as key founder leaders of SAD’s; the Chairman, Secretary General and other members left for further studies, development of sports for persons with disability dropped tremendously. Hence, in year 2000, the Government of Tanzania through its National Sports Council made deliberate efforts to rescue the situation to revive the organization by forming interim committee which worked closely with local and International stakeholders (like IPC) to revive disability movement in Tanzania.
CHANGING FOR THE BETTER;
As the interim leadership worked hard, the period between 2000 to 2004 through guidance, moral and material supports from local and International well wishers, the new management, managed to establish good relationships with IPC and ASCOD that led to its affiliation to the two international sports organizations. In year 2006, general election was held of which the general assembly agreed to changed the name from Sports Association for Disabled of Tanzania (SAD) to Tanzania Paralympic Committee (TPC).
Our Mission:
“To actively promote sports for persons with a disability in Tanzania by creating a structured, sequential, progressive development and competition structure for athletes, coaches, administrators, and technical officials, from beginner level to the International level”
Our Vision;
To ensure pathways exist for the continuity and stability of development efforts of sports for persons with a disability in Tanzania.
TPC Goals;
• To provide the National Associations, Clubs, Centres and Individual athletes with the skills to develop disability sports in their own territory in a sustainable, structured, progressive and professional manner.
• To provide additional resources to National Associations, Clubs, Centres and Individual athletes in the form of technical and equipment assistance so that all get the opportunity to progress to the highest possible level.
• To provide the skills and pathways for all Regional and National member Associations, Clubs, Centres and Individuals to satisfy their own development needs.
• To impart, through educational strategies, the required knowledge to developing associations in order to ensure the long-term sustainable development of disability sports.
• To assist in achieving national mass participation through the integration of sports for persons with a disability into the sports movements for able-bodied athletes, whilst safeguarding and preserving the identity of sports for disabled athletes.
• To improve the technical level of our athletes, coaches and match officials by providing technical assistance
• To improve the quality of human resources needed to better market and administer sports for persons with a disability
• To provide multi-skilled National, Regional and at club level development by facilitating the co-ordination of all aspects of development.
• To motivate and increase the participation of women at all levels and to improve the technical level of women competitors.
• To motivate and provide the youth with a structured pathway for development through sports
• To seek expansion of the opportunities for persons with a disability to participate in sports and of their access to training programs and employment designed to improve their proficiency and well being in general.
