Nigeria’s canoeing pair, Bello Ayomide and Otuedo Beauty, secured an automatic qualification for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in the C2 W 500 category. Competing in lane three during the all-African qualifiers, they finished first, outpacing their counterparts from Mozambique, Egypt, and Senegal.
The week-long African Olympic qualifying tournament will conclude on Saturday, with 16 countries vying for six available spots. President of the Nigerian Canoeing, Rowing, and Sailing Federation, Admiral Festus Pobeni, expressed confidence in Nigeria’s podium potential in Paris and emphasized the need for focused athlete training.
Pobeni highlighted the importance of effective management in optimizing resources and overcoming challenges, citing past struggles with customs clearance for the team’s boats. He called for increased support, urging President Bola Tinubu’s administration to encourage relevant agencies, like the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority, to consistently back the growth of watersports in Nigeria.
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In acknowledging the heightened performance of African athletes and the growing competition for Olympic qualification, Pobeni expressed satisfaction with the current conditions. Noting the progress made by countries like Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Mozambique, Senegal, Kenya, and Angola in the qualifiers, he envisioned significant development for the continent.