PRESIDENT Jakaya Kikwete last week in Boston had audience with US-based Tanzanian basketball player Hasheem Thabeet and advised the towering 19-year-old to put a lot of effort both in education and sports for his own good.
The president also asked the 7-foot-3-265-pound centre to take advantage of his
position as one of USA’s best find to concentrate on what he is doing and
refrain from engaging in unproductive activities.
“Seriousness, concentration and discipline are the important ingredients to your
blossoming career and therefore you must stay focused,” he told Thabeet, who is
expected to cause a stir in the new US college basketball league season that
takes off next month.
He told the boy that his was a golden opportunity that many dream of and
therefore he should go all out to exploit his potential with maximum zeal and
concentration.
“Excel in class because your career is a fleeting occurrence that can be halted
at any time and leave you high and dry if you have no fallback for the future.
“You must also excel in the game because if you succeed in your career you will
be able to change both your life and that of your family back home”, the
President told Thabeet.
Thabeet, born and bled at the Sinza neighbourhood in Dar es Salaam, is on the
verge of making a big break on the US basketball scene.
After attending Cypress Community School in Houston, Texas, he joined the
University of Connecticut basketball club, famed for unearthing NBA stars, after
an impressive debut for his school side.
Thabeet, currently in the top 10 list of rankings in college basketball,
initially featured for the Houston Junior Hard Ballers at several first-rate
tournaments while attending Cypress.
The 19 year old, who is an alumni of the Makongo High School in Dar es salaam,
previously played for UDSM Outsiders and Vijana ‘City Bulls’.
His height has made him an overnight superstar and a subject of interest from
Louisville and Cincinnati universities and several other colleges before
settling for UConn in March, becoming the tallest player in the institution’s
basketball history.
UConn are counting on Thabeet, who also played for Nairobi’s Laiser Hill School,
to fill their big man role after two of their dependable players - Hilton
Armstrong and Josh Boone - left to try their luck in the NBA draft.
“Thabeet brings great size and athleticism to our front court and is an
exclamation point to an already stellar recruiting class,” UConn coach Jim
Calhoun was quoted by a local newspaper.
“His growth and development in the short time since we have been evaluating him
has been phenomenal, and we are very excited about his potential to continue our
great legacy of superb shot blockers and rebounders”, he added.
Ningependa kumpongeza kijana Thabit kwa kuweza kukitumua kipaji chake mpaka hapo alipofikia. lakini ninge mkosoa kwa kuongea na mheshimiwa rais akiwa kavaa kofia. nafikiri ingekuwa heshima kama angevua hiyo kofia wakati wa maongezi na meshimwa JK.
ReplyDeleteWhatever! Rais mwenyewe haja mind wewe kinakuuma nini. Go ahead dogo represent Bongo to the End.
ReplyDeleteHata mimi nimeiona tu picha na kufikiria kweli angeiondoa hiyo kofia. Its very disrespectful.
ReplyDeleteJamani rais wetu kwenye hiyo picha anaongea na kibaka gani tena huyo???
ReplyDeletewell, mimi sidhani kuwa kofia ni kipimo cha heshima ya mtu. Hata kichaka mwenyewe huwa anavaa kofia akiwa anaongea na wageni wa heshima.
ReplyDeleteKwa taarifa yenu JK huwa hajali vitu vidogo vidogo, yeye mwenyewe ni mtu wa maskani, m-sure tu mtu wa kujichanganya na masela wa vijiweni toka enzi hizo kabla hajapata ukuu wowote!
ReplyDeleteJK hizo kazi za mtu mmoja mmoja waachie wadogo zako shugulikia kazi za mass kubwa mzee watanzania unaowawakilisha ni milioni 40. Ukichukua mmoja mmoja nafikiri muda wako utaisha bila hata kuwamaliza mzee.
ReplyDeletenyie wooooooooottteee mnaoona ni sawa huyo mtoto kuongea na kofia kichwani ni wendawazimu kama huyo hashim... hata akiongea na baba yake ki heshima anatakiwa kuvua kofia na kama michuzi ndo umempiga picha hata wewe hufai coz ulitakiwa kumtonya jamaa avue hiyo kofia...
ReplyDeleteActual huyo jamaa nafikiri na waliomwingiza aongee na JK hawakufanya analysis ya kutosha ilitakiwa hata kama hana nguo nzuri za kuvaa siu hiyo kwa heshima ya mweshimiwa atafute nguo nzuri avae hili aweze kumuona rais inaonekana hakujua anafanya nini.
ReplyDeleteHuyu jamaa anaweza kuwa na mwili mkubwa lakini ukiangalia vizuri utaona kichwa chake ni kidogo sana. Nadhani IQ yake ni chini ya wastani. He looks like a fucking clown!!
ReplyDeleteJamani huyu kijana bado hajapewa mafunzo jinsi ya kuongea na watu wanaomzidi umri (Ukiachilia mbali Rais. Ki maadili, ukiwa unaongea na mtu mzima unatakiwa utoe kofia
ReplyDelete!
Jamani Hivi JK amekosa kazi mpaka aanze kumkansell huyu kibaka.
ReplyDeleteJK unapata wapi muda huo. matatizo ya umeme, maji, maradhi bado tu hayakutoshi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
who is he? that he need such special moment from President!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteNyio wote hapo juu yaonekana ni mambumbu wakumbwa wa mambo.Hata hao watu wanaleta sifa katika mataifa yao walipewa individual conseling na baadaye they shined up. Kuweni waangalifu siyo kukimbilia kuandika tu. Machizi nyie
ReplyDeleteNaona sababu kuu iliyomfanya Kikwete kumpatia audience huyu NOBODY Hasheem ni kwa vile ni Muislamu mwenzake. PERIOD.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I'm concerned the guy has demonstrated neither talent nor above ordinary hoops skills at the College level he's now playing (leave alone Minor Basketball Leagues.) He's nothing but a genetic freak with the mental capacity of a 10-year old.
Nyie watu mnaotoa makosoaji mnaupungufu wa akili kidogo ni kipi hasa mnachotaka mtu afanye ili muweze kuongea ya maana,I hope hamko serious na mnayoyasema.
ReplyDeleteKwanza mnachanganya mambo ya heshima kwa mawazo yenu binafsi,kama kaongea na rais alikuwa anaongea kama yeye hakurepresent mtu yoyote kwa hiyo kama kwake it was fine the sijui wewe ni nani kumwambia mtu mzima cha kufanya.
Juu yaa yeye kama mchezaji sijui wewe unayesema kwamba anacheza minor league unazungumzia nini, UCON ni college na ni moja ya college zinazoingia kwenye Final 4's almost every year do ur homework kwanza kabla hamjaanza kutoa maoni yenu ya kijinga, na kama M'TZ mwenzetu sijui ni kwa nini tujiingize kwenye maneno ya kumkashifu wakati yeye hajasema kitu, the least atakachopata itakuwa ni education hata kama asipopata hiyo chence ya kucheza NBA, na as far as I know college kubwa kama UCON zinamaskaut wakubwa ambao hawawezi kumweka mtu asiye na kipaji, na vilevile akili so kwa nyie wote mnaoongea ujinga go check ur self first maana inawezekana nyie ndio machizi kumtukana mtu anayeishi maisha yake na nyie mnaanza kumwambie afanye nini.
This is the land of the free and the brave, u do what u want, mwangalie Russell Simons anavyovaa u might understand
Waungwana,
ReplyDeleteTusitetee vitu vya kijinga.Hasheem na waliompa hiyo audience na raisi wote walikosea kumuacha aende hivyo mbele ya raisi.Apart from his simplicity(JK) he is our PRESIDENT for god's sake.We must all respect him.Isitoshe kuvaa kofia wakati unaongea na watu waliokuzidi umri sio utamaduni wetu kabisa.Mifano inayotolewa hapa ya kina George Bush,Russel Simons na wengineo sio yetu waheshimiwa.We must not love to be copycats wa wenzetu.We look stupid when we do that.We get mindly colonized.
What I can already see here is that Hasheem is fighting for acceptance in american culture,he wants to fit in.Now,surely he will fit in,but what will he be afterwards?If you like the guy you will tell him the truth.It was wrong,usirudie tena and I am sure he will understand.
Nigga please! The dude ain't no Russell Simmons, OK? Other than inability to afford formalwear for a man of his size (probably custom made XXXXL or whatever) that such a honored may demand there's no fucking way he can get away with dressing in such shabby street attire. And yes, other than height advantage we are yet to see the fella shine in the minor leagues. If at all he succeeds in making it to the NBA, then I bet the most he can look forward to in his future career is in the position of a clown or gawk: something he already appears to be good at (Not unlike Manute Bol. I mean one look at the nigga is all it takes.)
ReplyDeleteNigga please! The dude ain't no Russell Simmons, OK? Other than inability to afford formalwear for a man of his size (probably custom made XXXXL or whatever) that such a honored ocassion may demand there's no fucking way he can get away with dressing in such shabby street attire in front of the President.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, other than immense height advantage we are yet to see the fella shine in the minor leagues. If at all he succeeds in making it to the NBA, then I bet the most he can look forward to in his future career is in the position of a clown or gawk: something he already appears to be good at (Not unlike Manute Bol. I mean one look at the nigga is all it takes.)
That said, i also have a big problem with Kikwete entertaining such bullshit when he has 1 million more crucial appointments and issues in America to spend his limited time on. You could never imagine the late J.K Nyerere sitting across and dispensing wisdom to a mere post adolescent boy with nothing meaningful to show in life other than having extreme vertical advantage.
of course kakosea kutovua kofia. Ila raisi hajali so no problem.
ReplyDeleteIngekuwa tatizo kwake angewaambia maelfu ya watu wanaomsikiliza kwenye kampeni za CCM kuvua KAPELO zao za CCM wakati anawahutubia.
Small minds discuss people
ReplyDeleteAverage minds discuss events
Big minds discuss ideas
Hii blog inaelekea kuna a lot of small minds.Always mna discuss watu.Mtaji wa maskini ni majungu.
Hasheem endelea kufanya vituz.Endelea kutuweka Tanzania kwenye map.Achana na hawa wenda
Bigups kwa anon wa 1.41, its a shame kuona hawa watu kila linalo wekwwa huku kwao baya na ni maneno ya kumkashifu mtu ambaye yuko juu yao.
ReplyDeleteFirst nyie mnaosema minor league narudia tena UCONN is a college if u didnt know minor league inatoka wapi this is a very big college up here, kupata nafasi ya kuwa mmoja ya watu 12 wanaomake team its not just about height.
Second utamaduni ndio nini, huyu mtu anamaisha yake binafsi wewe danya utakavyo, he is doin his.
tatu sawa unayesema kwamba huyu hana hela za kuafford nguo ndefu,it might b true but atleast ana future if not iin basketball angalau ataishia kupata degree yake wewe unafnya nini kama sio maskini wa akili tu.Again support whats urs na kuacha kutoa maneno yakijinga kwa ajili ya kuvaa kofia matusi yote hayo, Hasheem just do u men and know that u have people who are prayin 4 u to make it big for u and ur family, and at the end for TZ
hasheem mwanangu achana na mafala hao wanaoona eti inabidi uvae suti kukutana na rais ni washenzi tuu.na hawajui maana ya mtu kuwa 1st division kama wewe ulipo sasa hivi.
ReplyDeletemimi nina swali kwa hasheem hater's ni watanzania wangapi wameishawahi kuingia au hata kunusa nusa 1st division ya baskeball marekani?????????????
mavi nyinyi hakuna sasa muacheni hasheem afanye vitu vyake na mwanangu mimi naweza kukuambia just do u hata usifikirie eti sijui kuna watu wananisema au wananisupport helllllll noooooo,as long as familia yako na ndugu na rafiki zako wanakusupport thats all u need maan fuck all these hater's.
GOOOO HASHEEM,GOO CONNECTICUT DO U BABU HASHEEM.
Hivi wabongo kusema kitu positive hata mara moja ni kama sumu? alafu watu wa humu nauhakika wote melowea nchi za watu, mnaleta zaki shamba shamba mlizani mkifika huko ndio meukata? sasa dogo mchaa wetu kutoka mitaa ya sinza kapata deal la nguvu la kufa mtu basi kinawauma. Eti kavaa nini sijui mara sijui he looks like a clown, mtasema sana mpaka basi lakini hali haibadiliki.
ReplyDeleteKuvaa au kuvua kofia haimaanishi kitu kwanza hayo masuti suti yenu mavazi ya wanyonyaji hao wazungu wenu mnaowakimbilia.
Its a shame kwa kweli wtu mnaochangia humu. lakini mitaani hamuonekani mkisema hivi mnapata muda kwenye mtandao tu.
Tutafika tu!
Please lets put matter of substance badala ya kofia ! wapo wanaovaa suti bila chupi ! nao utawaambia nini ?
ReplyDeleteJamani Kolumba yupo wapi ? nilidhani either yeye ama marehem John Tambwe siku moja wangecheza college
ReplyDeleteHey mambo vipi wabongo? ngozi za mkundu hata upake mafuta hazing'aii. hivi mna nini mme kaa baada ya kutumia hizo computer zenu kujiendeleza mnakaa na kuanza kuongea usenge kukosoa watu kuwapaka watu ambao wame wapita kila kitu ndio maana mna ishia kuwa nyuma kila kitu kwa kuwa hamsamini vyenu kama mmeshindwa kuutangaza mlima wa kilimanjaro kama upo tanzania mtaweza kuwa support watanzania wenzenu, mna penda kuongelea vitu hata kama hamvijui.. mna question kuhusu Jk kuongea na Hasheem hapa uk Queen ana kaa na kuwapa sir wana michezo na watu ambao wanaleta heshima katika nchi, mtoto mtanzania halisi kuonana na raisi wake na kupewa ushauri kusa embu pelekeni hiyo mikundu yenu mikubwa mkaioshe maana mnaongea utumbo hamjui kitu visimi vyenu matako ya dadazenu.
ReplyDeleteJk anamuasa kama Rais na pia Mzazi, kwani nafasi alioipata sio rahisi kama mwenyewe hajaitambua na pia kuongea nae Hashim nikumuonyesha kuwa kazi kubwa iko mbele yako binafsi na watu wanaokuona wewe kama kioo cha jamii(TZ).Mwisho NBA sio lele mama na kila kitu you have to prove youself and You have to be smart, usije ukawa kama wale wachezaji wa Romania na Msudani aliyekuwa anaomba nauli ya kurudi kwao baada ya kufilisika na devorce, US. He needed that Cancelling.(pengine next time atavua kofia as a simbol of respect).
ReplyDeleteMzee wa juu hapo , Kolumba hakuweza ku-make it kwani umri nao umekwea kinoma pia hakuwa na height advantage ya kutisha kama Hasheem. Sasa hivi yupo Marekani anapanga box kama kawaida. Unajua Hasheem hiyo height tuu inatosha kujiuza.
ReplyDeleteJK hawezi kumaindi kofia. Mwaka 1994 JK alikuwa mgeni rasni kwenye mahafali yetu ya form IV pale tanga skuli. (Wakati huo akiwa ni waziri wa maji, nishati na madini), alikuja kwenye disko usiku kucheza na mademu wa korogwe girls, JK alikuwa amevaa kama Bileku Mpasi na tlipiga naye picha kibao na makofia ya kutishatisha tuu, na wala hakutaka yoyote kati yetu avue kofia. Mdingi siyo mnoko huyu.
ReplyDeleteHAPA U.S.A WATU WAHAMIND KUHUSU MAVAZI,MTU AWEZA KUVAA KIVYAKE HATA KAMA ANAONGEA NA BUSH,KWANI HAMUWAONI MASTER KIBAO WANAVAA CASUAL ,NA ISITOSHE HILO JINSI LAKE NI LA $ 79 HUKO BONGO WANUNUA JINSI 10
ReplyDeleteok, Fellas; Tallest Tanzanian! Here it is in SI-Sports Illustrated! October 5th,2006 As a Tanzanian I'm proud and supportive of his steping up for the game at UCON! to this date i'm not aware of any Tanzanian before him.Cheers Hashim. Keep it UP!
ReplyDeletehttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/sioncampus/07/18/uconn.hasheem/index.html
LIANGALIE KAZI YAKE KUKUTANA NA WAKORA HAWA, NA KINA MICHUZI, NA KULA FUTARI, WAKATI KUNA MAUAJI YAMETOKEA YA VONETHA NA WALTER, WALA HAKUJALI, INGEKUWA MARAIS WENGINE WANGEULIZIA IMEKUWAJE HATA INGESAIDIA KWA AUTHORITIES HAPA KUTUCHUKULIA SERIOUS MAUAJI YA KIKATILI YA NDUGU ZETU WAPENDWA HAWA. LAKINI RAIS WETU MWENYEWE HAKUJALI NI AIBU SANA. HATA AMEONA AIBU KUONYESHA SURA YAKE KWENYE MSIBA DAR IMEBIDI AMTUME MKEWE MAMA SALMA KIKWETE. KIFO NI CHA KILA MTU BABA KIKWETE JE HAWA WANGEKUWA WATOTO WAKO AU MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY WOULD YOU HAVE REACTED COLD LIKE THIS? I DO NOT THINK SO.
ReplyDeleteAnoy hapo juu tumepata habari kuwa tena hapo ni nyumbani kwa huyo Dogo kumbe alikwenda asubuhi kumtembelea dogo tena ali drive mwenyewe na michuzi. mambo ya NBA hayo siumeona hata siku ya msiba aliwaita wachezaji wa stars wakaaungabonge la party eti ni motisha kwa wachezaji badala ya kufanya hivyo wakishinda...
ReplyDelete