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On Saturday, May 21, the Drake Bulldogs and CONADEIP All Stars from Mexico will have traveled across the globe to meet on the field at the Sheik Amri Abeid Memorial Stadium in Arusha, Tanzania for the historic Global Kilimanjaro Bowl, Africa’s first American football game. As a presenting sponsor for the event, TANAPA, the Tanzania National Parks has partnered with the Global Kilimanjaro Bowl to promote Tanzania’s many national parks.
While they are focused on playing the first ever game of American college football on the continent of Africa, the teams all are equally excited to visit two of Tanzania’s National Parks while in the country.
Nearly a third of all the land in Tanzania is protected by the government, serving as the major tourist attractions and primary source of revenue for the nation. Each year some 45,000 visitors trek up the slopes toward Africa’s Rooftop, the 19,341-feet tall Mount Kilimanjaro. While only about half that number arrives at the actual summit, they each experience an amazing hike through various vegetation zones, animal habitat, and topography. The vistas of the surrounding savannahs, stretching out in all directions from the lower slopes, are some of the most impressive to be found in the world.
TANAPA carefully cares for and manages the Kilimanjaro National Park area, as well as the other 14 national parks and 32 game reserves. The best known of these is the Serengeti, named in 2006 as the New Seventh Wonder of the World by USA Today. Also among these is the Olduvai Gorge, the cradle of mankind; the Selous, the world’s largest game reserve; and Ruaha, now the second largest National Park in Africa.
The opportunity to support the Global Kilimanjaro Bowl through its position as Presenting Sponsor will provide TANAPA with broad media coverage around the world, as the uniqueness of this event will certainly attract vast attention.
TANAPA Director General, Alan Kijazi commented, "We are excited to welcome this new sport to Tanzania, and to have these young men from the USA and Mexico visit our unique national parks, and to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. They will certainly tell many others of the beauty and special quality of our land and its wildlife. Karibu to all our visitors."
During their two-week visit to Tanzania, the student athletes, staff and family supporters will each get to spend a day in Tarangire National Park, just 90 minutes south of Arusha, which will host the teams and is the traditional base for most safaris in the country. Tarangire boasts all the wildlife that can be seen in the more famous Serengeti, including teeming herds of elephants and giraffe, lions, baboons, various types of antelope, hyena, wildebeest, and scores of other amazing animals.
While most of the players will be climbing Kilimanjaro, a group of family members will take time to visit a number of parks, including Serengeti, plus Lake Mayara and Tarangire, staying in uniquely appointed guest lodges and traveling in specialized safari vehicles that enable them to take photos and travel in comfort.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
