Rowing, canoeing, and sailing fans have lobbied for greater grassroots growth of the sport in the country.
A cross-section of participants interviewed by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the conclusion of the 1st African Admiral Porbeni Canoe Race Championships in Abuja praised the event’s organisers.
The championships also functioned as a pre-qualifying event for the Olympics, which took place in November.
The event attracted 100 athletes from five African countries: Ghana, Senegal, Sao Tome & Principe, Togo, and host Nigeria.
They stated that more such tournaments in other regions of the country were needed to ensure the development of the sport at the grassroots level.
Thomas Konietzko, President of the International Canoe Federation (ICF), expressed satisfaction with the event’s quality and was impressed with the number of talent available in the country.
“I believe we have a lot of talented athletes in Nigeria, and this competition has shown that African organisers can put on very professional Canoe competitions.”
“We need to develop sports in Africa, and more regional competitions here are an important first step.”
“Another important issue is a lack of equipment, and we have had meaningful discussions with the Federation about how we can help engage more children in the sport.”
“Over time, more African athletes will develop an interest in the sport and even go on to qualify for and compete for medals at the Olympic Games,” he said.
According to Joao Afonso, 1st Vice President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), there is a need to give possibilities for athletes to find and develop their potential.
Afonso stated that youth comprised more than 60% of the African population, and that ANOCA was working hard to establish circumstances for them to practise and keep themselves active with the sport.
“We need to change our African mentality because here, football is the only sport that exists.”
“Therefore, the narrative must be changed.”
“We have 42 sports at the Olympics, and football is just one of many,” he remarked.
Habu Gumel, President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), stated that the federation had the capacity to grow the sport at the grassroots level, particularly given the country’s enormous waterways and talent pool.
“It is critical to develop the sport at the grassroots level, and we have many waterways and talents spread across the country.”
“We are in discussions with both the ICF president and other international organisations about providing more equipment to the federation.”
“The NOC will continue to provide them with all of the necessary support so that they can excel,” he stated.
Emmanuel Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), expressed satisfaction that the event was the first of its kind, adding that he would want to see similar editions in the future.
He also emphasised the importance of holding the event in different regions of the country to make it more accessible to all Nigerians, particularly the grassroots.
“We are grateful to retired Admiral Porbeni for flying the flag for all these years.” He has done an excellent job of representing us in the sport.
“Rowing, Canoeing, and Sailing are important sports in the Nigerian Navy, which is why we have included them in our responsibilities.”
“We also know that sport is critical for youth development because it keeps them busy and fit, allowing them to contribute meaningfully to national development.”
“The Nigerian Navy will continue to provide all necessary support to the federation,” he stated.
The idea for the event came from Festus Porbeni, President of the Rowing, Canoeing, and Sailing Federation, who wanted to ensure that the sport was developed at the grassroots level.
“I discovered that Nigeria was theoretically good at rowing but did not practise as much.”
“As a result, I had to engage all sport stakeholders to ensure that we were fully engaged in the sport.”
“We now have boats here in Nigeria that are manufactured locally.” It is preferable to importing from abroad,” he stated.
He stated that the event assisted the federation in discovering new talent and that there were plans to grow in the future.
“We want to make sure that the sport is developed at the grassroots level, which is why we organised it in Jos, Lagos, Imo, and now Abuja.”
“So, we’re trying to project it as much as possible; anywhere there is a body of water in any part of the country, we’ll look into hosting the event there,” he stated.
