Akinyemi Secures Ticket For Canoeing

One of Nigeria’s paddlers Jonathan Akinyemi,  has qualified for the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Nigeria Rowing,Canoe and Sailing Federation (NRCSF) has said in Lagos.

The Secretary of NRCSF Victor Anusa, said that Akinyemi qualified for the canoe event of the Games at the two-day Africa Canoe Championship held in South Africa and which ended last month.

U.K.-based Akinyemi was to have been at the 2008 Beijing Olympics as an observer but could not because of paucity of funds.

He secured the ticket in the Rugh Wter KI Slalom canoe event even though this is the first time Nigeria is participating in the competition.

“We went with two athletes for both the male and female categories but only Akinyemi emerged a winner at the championship.

“And we intend to key into the calendar of the international body to see if we can get another athlete to qualify for the Games,” Anusa told newsmen.

The female who attended the competition, Lilian Japhet, did not make it but Anusa said she had the potential to qualify if given another opportunity.

Nigeria, Uganda, Morocco, Kenya, Netherland, France, Switzerland, Togo, Algeria, Poland and South Africa competed in the championship at Ash River Bethlehem, South Africa.