A first in rowing for East and Central Africa

Hosted by the Sudan Rowing and Canoe Federation and the Khartoum Rowing Club and held in Sudan’s hub of rowing, Khartoum, the racing took place on the river Nile.

The vision of the event was to encourage the development of rowing and to strengthen the bonds with regional countries in East and Central Africa. In attendance were Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan. From these nations were 38 athletes (including canoeists), with the majority coming from Sudan.

Racing was over 500m with Sudan winning the most medals, followed by Kenya with Ethiopia and Djibouti picking up a medal each.
Prior to the regatta, a level one rowing coaches course was held with participants coming from the five countries that raced in the regatta. A total of 25 coaches took part in the practical and theoretical lessons that were taught. There were also meetings to help establish a long term athlete development plan.

Local organiser, Gibreel Mohamed commented, “The majority of the coaches had an academic qualification, some were sports teachers and some active athletes. The coaches gained a lot of useful knowledge from the course. They were very enthusiastic and willing to learn good technique.”