Federation To Introduce Indoor Rowing In Schools

The Nigeria Rowing Canoe and Sailing Federation (NRCSF) at the weekend in Lagos said it would soon introduce the indoor rowing Ergometer machine to schools to increase participation in the sport.
Bunmi Oluode told Secretary of the federation newsmen at a trials organised by the body in Lagos that they currently have four Ergometer machines.
Ergometer is an indoor rowing machine used to stimulate the action of watercraft rowing for the purpose of rowing or training for rowing.
Tidesport source also reports that indoor rowing has been accepted as a world championship event by the International Rowing Federation.
Oluode said NRCSF intends to get more of the machines through sponsorship to achieve its objectives.
“The indoor rowing is a good avenue for people to learn about the sport, as well as participate in a different dimension from the usual event.
“One of our athletes took part in the indoor event in 2017 in Poland and it is now a world game under the world rowing body.
“One good thing about the indoor rowing is that both able-body and para-athletes can participate in it.
“The federation will be doing more on it this year and that is why we have decided to take it to public and private schools as well as tertiary institutions to develop athletes in the sport,’’ she said.
On the trials, the secretary said 30 athletes from 10 states participated in the four-day canoe and kayak trials which began on Wednesday at the BICS Boat Club in Lekki, Lagos.
Tidesports source reports that the trials was organised to help the federation in selecting athletes for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) qualifiers scheduled to hold in Spain in April.
“The athletes competed in obstacle slalom and head-to-head canoe sprint which are the two events for the qualifiers,’’ Oluode said.
She however added that the African Youth Games (AYG) in Algeria will serve as the qualifier for the rowing and sailing events of the YOG slated for Argentina in October.
Oluode commended retired Rear Adm. Festus Porbeni, the federation’s President, for accommodating and feeding participants and officials during the trials.