Tunisia tops medal table at African Rowing Championships on Lake Tunis

Lake Tunis hosted four days of international and continental racing from 27 to 30 September 2026. The programme began with the 17th Lake Tunis International Regatta before the 18th African Rowing Championships brought athletes together across under-19, under-23, senior, lightweight and para rowing events.

The International Regatta was raced over 1,000 metres on 27 September. Following the Championships’ opening ceremony on 28 September, crews competed over 2,000 metres on 29 and 30 September.

Close Contests on the Water

One of the tightest Championships finals came in the under-19 women’s double sculls. Egypt’s Alia Ali and Rimas Ahmed won in 7:52.34, just 1.01 seconds ahead of Algeria’s Ghizlene Bennacer and Ghizlene Ghoul. Tunisia’s Sarra Amari and Wala Omri took bronze in 7:54.57, leaving only 2.23 seconds between the three medal-winning crews.

Algeria’s Sayf Eddine Guenouche and Difallah Aissani won the under-23 men’s double sculls in 6:27.12, ahead of Tunisia in 6:29.55. Egypt’s Abdelkhalek Elbanna claimed two senior titles, winning the men’s single sculls in 7:11.79 before partnering Mohamed Eissa to victory in the double sculls in 6:36.37.

Algeria’s Nihed Benchadli also secured two gold medals, winning the senior women’s single sculls before taking the double sculls title with Lilya Meguedad. Morocco’s Sarah Ghazaz took the under-23 women’s single sculls title, while Tunisia’s Khadija Krimi won both the lightweight women’s single sculls and, alongside Selma Dhaouadi, the double sculls.

Tunisia led the Championships medal table with 10 gold, six silver and three bronze medals. Egypt followed with five gold medals, while Algeria’s 13 medals were the second-highest overall total. Six of the 11 countries listed in the Championships medal table won medals.

At the International Regatta, Tunisia also topped the medal table with 15 gold medals and 30 medals overall, with the United Arab Emirates and Algeria finishing second and third respectively.

Growing Participation Across Africa

For African Rowing Confederation (FASA) President Mehdi Garidi, the week was about more than medals.

“We saw many teams who were not present before, and now they are more and more active and even performing very well.”

Kenya travelled with an 11-athlete delegation that included a sizeable para rowing team. Joan Natalia Naibei and Otieno Brian Okoth won PR3 mixed double sculls silver at both events, while Anne Mumbi Wachira added bronze in the lightweight women’s single sculls at the Championships. Garidi said Kenyan ministry officials attended and expressed interest in purchasing boats and supporting future participation.

Libya’s Abdulrahman A S Mohamed won silver in the PR1 men’s single sculls at both events, behind Tunisia’s Maher Rahmani. Senegal’s Elhadj Malick Lô took two bronze medals at the International Regatta, in the under-19 and lightweight men’s single sculls. Garidi said Senegal’s athletes would remain for a training camp as they prepare for the Youth Olympic Games.

Garidi also highlighted Angola’s effort to bring two athletes to Tunis. Ngola Conceicao reached the under-19 women’s single sculls A final at the Championships, finishing fifth. Sudan’s Abdallah Ahmed and Côte d’Ivoire’s Kouadio Franck Ndri reached the senior men’s single sculls A final.

“It’s good to see all these efforts, all the teams working together to support our sport in the continent,” Garidi said. He described an atmosphere in which athletes supported one another regardless of nationality.

Shared Equipment Supports Racing

Equipment support from Swift helped organisers make boats available to teams throughout the events. Swift supplied 25 sculling boats, 12 singles and 13 doubles, along with 40 sets of Concept2 oars, additional blades, a boat trailer, and a van. Teams contributed towards logistics and transport rather than paying boat-rental fees.

“It helped us to provide fair racing conditions for all teams and avoid any problems,” Garidi said.

Vincent Tassery, World Rowing development coach, transported the boats from Nice, France, to Tunisia and stayed on site to assist teams. Garidi said his contribution was essential to making the arrangement work.

Garidi praised the Tunisian Rowing Federation’s organisation and said the forecast strong headwinds and crosswinds had been much lighter than expected, leaving excellent and fair racing conditions for all teams.

“It was even better than what we expected, honestly, at all levels,” he said.

You can find the 2026 African Championships results here.