Instant Network Schools journalism competition winner: The Power of Sport

The Power of Sport

by Lucy Nyambandwa Mbonimpa 

Photo 1: Adelina at Makere Secondary School

This is the story of Adelina, a fourth-form student at Makere Secondary School in Tanzania. Adelina has gone through many challenges as a netball player, but today she stands as one of the most famous players from various schools in the Kigoma region.

“I really like sports. Netball is in my blood; it’s my talent since childhood,” says Adelina. She has loved the game of netball since she was in primary school, but her journey was not easy. She faced many challenges, including opposition from her parents, who ordered her to stop playing and to spend most of her time on her studies. They saw sports as a waste of time and banned her from playing them.

The biggest challenge came when she injured her leg during sports in Grade 6. This caused her parents to become stricter, completely forbidding her to have any involvement in sports. “I was really sad to stop playing netball,” Adelina recalls.

“I was at a crossroads after being banned because I was doing well in class, and in sports, I was good.”

Photo 3: Netball match between Makere Secondary School and Nyamidaho Secondary School.

She arrived at a pivotal point where she had to decide between her sporting dream and her parents' expectations.

In 2020, when she was in Grade 7, her father started to get sick. He was taken to Kabanga Hospital in Kasulu Town and was diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure. Doctors advised her father to take regular exercise for at least one hour a day. As he practiced, his health began to improve, and his happiness increased. This made her father understand the benefits of exercise and sports, which allowed Adelina to get involved in sports again.

"In 2021, I joined Makere Secondary School and continued to play netball on the school team," says Adelina. Since then, she has continued to participate in UMITASHUNTA and UMISETA competitions, representing her school and reaching the national level, putting the name of her school and district on the sporting map.

Photo 4: Makere and Nyamidaho Secondary School students on Sports Day, 16/08/2024.

This success has been a springboard for many students at school. It has also changed the attitude of her parents, who are now proud of her success. "Currently, many students at school see me as a role model for the way I fought to reach the national level," says Adelina.

"But I believe I have not yet reached where I want to be. I believe that with determination, effort, and learning more, one day I will be a great athlete in Tanzania, like Aisha Masaka."

Adelina has a big dream: to one day play netball in the major leagues in the United States. Her story is a testimony to how sports can change lives and bring new hope.