Assistant Lecturer | Researcher | Sport and Development Scholar

Philemon Materu is a Tanzanian scholar in Physical Education and Sport Sciences and a PhD candidate in Kinesiology. His work explores the intersection of sport, education, health, and society, with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries, especially Tanzania.

He holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Physical Education and Sport Sciences. His Master’s research examined talent identification and development in athletics. Since then, his academic focus has expanded toward the psychosocial and ecological determinants of physical activity, youth development through sport, and the prevention of non-communicable diseases among adolescents and women in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Philemon’s research is grounded in real-world challenges facing schools and communities. He is currently interested in multilevel social-ecological influences on adolescent physical activity in socioeconomically stratified school environments and in designing context-sensitive interventions that integrate life skills training with structured sport and physical activity programs.

Beyond research, he is committed to academic leadership and community engagement. He has served in student governance roles within the School of Education and organized inter-departmental sport initiatives to strengthen collaboration and student wellbeing. Nationally, he was selected to serve in the Secretariat of Protocol and Fans Experience for CHAN 2025 and AFCON 2027 under the Ministry responsible for Sport and Arts in Tanzania.

His long-term goal is to generate evidence that informs policy, strengthens educational systems, and positions sport and physical activity as strategic tools for health promotion and social development across Africa.