Second edition of Zanzibar Cup kitesurfing competition anounced

By Vatican News

The organizers of the latest "Zanzibar Cup" presented the kitesurfing sporting event at a press conference in Zanzibar on Friday 16 August. Zanzibar's Commission for Tourism and the Zanzibar National Sports Council announced the second such event officially called the "Zanzibar CUP KUSI 2024" with "Kusi" referring to the name of the seasonal winds in that region of Tanzania making the kitesurfing possible.

The kitesurfing competition is scheduled for Saturday 24 August, weather permitting, at Kiwengwa in the North Unguja region of Zanzibar. It marks the Second International Kitesurfing Regatta, a very popular sport in Zanzibar known for its stunning nature, beaches, and beautiful coastal scenery.

So far 33 participants are registered,  including four professional kitesurfers from Austria, Italy, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Other participants represented come from Poland, the Czech Republic, Spain, and some are local Tanzanians.

Coordinating this second international competition is a medical doctor from Italy, Stefano Conte, a resident of Zanzibar and kitesurfing enthusiast. Dr. Conte is a pediatric surgeon who has volunteered his expertise for many years in Africa. He also helped organize the first Zanzibar Cup that took place in February 2024, when in an interview with Vatican News, he explained that "the aim is to create a meeting of peoples in the land of Africa, a diversity of people coming from all over the world, united in their passion for the same sport. This event in various ways represents a message of peace."

Sponsors of the August competition include Zanzibar's Commission for Tourism and a number of local hotels and businesses who will assist with accomodations and services for the participants and delegations. Zanzibar, an archipelago just off the Tanzanian coast, is also aiming to increase sports tourism to the area to be become a type of sports hub in in the East and Central Africa region.