Botswana hosts international youth rowing

Raced on the Gaborone Dam, the rowing course was 500m. It was installed using rowing equipment that came from Rowing South Africa and the University Sport South Africa and was transported by volunteers in the weeks leading up to the event. Boats, blades and launches were brought in from South Africa.

The African Youth Games had 2500 athletes overall, and included 21 sporting codes with all 54 African nations participating. Rowing had entries from 12 countries including Algeria, Botswana, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia and Zimbabwe.

The regatta included the junior men’s and women’s single sculls over 500m and a 500m relay race. Tunisia finished at the top of the medals table with two golds and one silver. South Africa was second with one gold and two silvers and Egypt was third winning bronze in all three boat classes. Mohamed Taieb won the men’s single for Tunisia, with Amy Mattushek winning the women’s single for South Africa. Taieb then teamed up with Nour Ettaieb to win the relay race.

Taieb raced last year at the World Rowing Junior Championships in the men’s single, while Ettaieb was in the women’s double sculls at the same event. For Mattushek, the African Youth Games was her first international rowing experience.

The relay race operated with one women’s single and one men’s single racing 500m each. FISA competitive commission member Faycal Soula described it as very exciting. Soula also noted that rowing was one of the most followed sports by the Botswana people during the African Youth Games. “They would come every day to support their rowers, Refilive Seema and Artur Alevarez,” said Soula.

The newly formed Botswana Rowing and Canoeing Federation (BROCAF) hosted the rowing regatta on the Gaborone Dam, situated about 3km from the city of Gaborone. Botswana became a federation member of the World Rowing Federation, FISA, in 2013 and these Games meant that rowing could be showcased.

“The volunteer-based group has been very motivated and engaged to deliver this event,” said FISA Development Manager Sheila Stephens Desbans. “We are looking forward to working with them for the future development and growth of the sport in Botswana.  The number of active rowing federations in this region means that regular regional competitions should be more possible.”

The African Youth Games was established by ANOCA, the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa to target 15 to 18-year-old African athletes. It came about as a motive to build on the concept of the Youth Olympic Games which will be held later this year in Nanjing, China.