FROM THE ARUSHA NEWS REPORTER IN MBEYA
ARUSHA City has emerged as one of the strong performers at the ongoing 2026 Local Government Authorities’ sports games (SHIMISEMITA) in Mbeya, recording victories across several disciplines.
The city, represented by one of its largest sporting delegations in recent years, has maintained an impressive run in the national competition, with its teams progressing in netball, volleyball, handball and basketball.
Arusha City sent a 139-delegation to Mbeya, led by youthful City Director John Kayombo, included 127 athletes and featured in all 15 disciplines.
The city’s campaign started emphatically when its netball team defeated Rungwe District 20-8 at the TEKU grounds.
Arusha city also registered victories in handball and volleyball while the football team also made its presence felt with a convincing 3-0 victory over Songwe.
The handball campaign has been particularly impressive with Arusha recording 8-1 victory over Ludewa as the city continued to establish itself among the teams to watch in Mbeya.
Arusha has also qualified in the next stage in netball, volleyball, handball and basketball.
Godhard Marandu progressed to the athletics quarter-finals while Tumaini Aidan Kinunda advanced to the semi-finals.
The campaign has not been without setbacks. In men’s basketball, Arusha went down 26-22 to Tabora Municipal Council.
Despite the defeat, Arusha’s broader performance across the different sporting disciplines has kept the city among the notable performers at this year’s Games.
The 2026 games began on August 15 and are scheduled to conclude today, Saturday, August 29.
