MBONILE BURTON THE Tanzania Hockey Association (THA) has urged the national representative in the Africa Club Championship -- Dar Khalsa, to prepare the competitive team that will match the big show.

The Africa Hockey Club Championship is scheduled for Cairo, Egypt in October this year, according to THA Secretary Kaushik Doshi. Doshi made this remarks after the Dar Khalsa won the Mapinduzi Hockey Tournament over the weekend in Dar es Salaam, to secure a place in the continental showdown.

"We congratulate you (Dar Khalsa) for winning the local trophy but please do not forget that you have big Africa meet ahead of you. "We want to go there with competitive team, make sure you start preparations now, do not waste any time," he warned them.

He added that the association was also looking for a possibility to have two teams taking part in the championship. "We need at least two teams to prepare for the championship, in case of an unexpected circumstance, for instance one country fails to send team to Cairo, we can use that opportunity and fill the gape."

Dar Khalsa coach Kanuti Komba told the 'Daily News' that they will soon embark on the team's preparations programme. "I will plan for an extensive training programme, thereafter, I will sit with club leaders to chart how we will go about it," said Kombe, who is the former TPDF (Tanzania People's Defence Forces) and Magereza coach.

The veteran coach guarded Dar Khalsa to lift their first Mapinduzi title after many years of tournament existence.