Masudi Omary: The Tanzanian kabaddi captain investing his earnings to keep the sport alive

Omary is not as famous as marathoner Alphonce Simbu or footballer Mbwana Samatta in the East African nation with a population of nearly 73 million. But for these kids at the Kaole Kabaddi Sports Club, he is their mentor and guide.

Omary and his band of brothers are currently in Ahmedabad for the inaugural edition of the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship. Championship held under the aegis of IKF and AKFI.

They haven’t had the best of times at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, winning just one of their five matches but continue to be a source of inspiration for these kids, who’ve now made this obscure sport of kabaddi their life, much to the astonishment of the locals.

“I’m the chairman of my own club,” said a proud Omary in a conversation with The Bridge.

“In the club, I’m trying to pick up kids from schools and develop kabaddi from the grassroots in Bogomoyo. We have about 200 kids in the club and I motivate them to play kabaddi,” he added. 

Omary, himself, started in the sport three years later in 2019. Limited success as a footballer and the athleticism required in kabaddi drew him in. Seven years later, he is now the captain of the Tanzania, a country which has a grand total of eight kabaddi clubs.

The 2026 Commonwealth Championship is, in fact, the first international tournament outside of the African Kabaddi Championship for Omary and his team.

“We played with India for the first time [during the Commonwealth C’ship],” he said. “We lost, but we were impressive.

“Once we go back to Tanzania, there’s a lot of things which we can discuss with our fellow players so that we can develop kabaddi further,” he added.

Back home, Omary is already doing his bit. Apart from training the kids, he also conducts inter-school tournaments to give the kids exposure.

He runs an Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) called “We are stronger together” for kids and people with HIV AIDS and other vulnerable groups in Tanzania, whilst also working as a coach.

Thanks to a lack of funding for kabaddi in the country, Omary pools a majority of what he earns into the Kaole Kabaddi Sports Club to propagate the sport.

“I juggle a job and once I get paid, I provide for my players,” he said with a wide grin.

“There are no big tournaments in our country for kabaddi and that is why there are no sponsors and government support,” he added.

Even for the Commonwealth Championship in Ahmedabad, Tanzania had only a two-week camp before they flew into India.

“We had a two-week camp before we came to India,” he said.

“We are not satisfied with our performance but we are trying. We are trying to learn some advanced skills to develop more and more,” he added.

So, despite the hurdles and lack of support, what has kept Omary going in kabaddi even after seven years?

“It is a fun game,” he said. “Once you play kabaddi, you have to be physically and mentally strong.”

“Kabaddi eats our own blood and that’s why we play it day in and day out,” he added.

The fact that movements in kabaddi also closely resemble Ngoma – a traditional drumming, music, and dance festival in Tanzania – also helps.

“I’m a dancer and play the traditional drum. The steps are very similar and that’s why I like the sport,” he said.

With nations like Kenya and Uganda already levelling up in kabaddi, Omary’s enthusiasm for the sport could be the key to the rise of another African nation, if provided with the right guidance, opportunities, and financial support.