ALTHOUGH Kayak is a lesser sport in Nigeria, its growing popularity and its inclusion in the last 21st National Sports Festival which held in Delta state, President, Kayak, Canoe and Sailing Federation, Rear Admiral Festus Porbeni (rtd), believes Kayaking is rowing in the right direction.
He said Nigeria has the potentials to win multiple medals at the Olympics, if adequately funded, and urged the youths to seize the opportunity provided by kayak federation to gain international fame.
Porbeni said with adequate funding, the Kayak sport will grow in the country, stressing that with support from the International Kayak Federation and corporate sponsorships, the sport is rowing in the right direction.
He said contrary to widespread views, kayaking is not a sport for riverine communities only, but for any state with a body of water and urged subnational governments to invest in the sport.
According to him, the kayak federation have held successful national championships in Sokoto, Kaduna and Abuja.
He praised former Cross River Governor, Liyel Imoke, for hosting the first kayaking competition in Nigeria and urged other states governors and corporate bodies to invest in kayaking by adopting kayakers and nurturing them to stardom.
“I came into the federation when there was absolutely no hope. Not much was known about the sports. We even had no canoes and kayaks to row. We were rowing theoretically. And from that theoretical sessions, we attended competitions. In Tunisia, we came last all through. Typical of me, I said no. I don’t like being last and we must make sure things change. Meanwhile, the International kayak federation had donated to us eleven boats which were lying in the Lagos port for eleven years uncollected. Sadly, we were rowing theoretically when we had boats idling away at the ports. The international body will not give you more support except we make use of the ones donated earlier. So my mission was to make sure we collected those boats. We discovered they were in Ikorodu Dry Port Terminal in a container. I went to the Customs and from there we were able to get the boats.
“Meanwhile, we had incurred demurrage of about one million naira. This we paid. We participated in African games and won our first silver and two bronze medals. We not only had boats, we manufactured boats. We secured sponsorship through NELO. Kayaking is not sports meant for only riverine area. It’s meant for anywhere that has a body of water like Argungu in the North. Like I said, we should create this sport in any state that has a body of water. We’ve done it in Sokoto, Jos, Kaduna and Abuja. The first standard Olympic lake is in Jabi Lake, Abuja. The lake is named Admiral FBI Porbeni Lake which I sponsored. And to popularise it, we tried to make sure that the states sponsor the event. For instance, we have 15 states competing at the 21st National Sports Festival in Delta state. Before now, we’ve been begging states but many states were not forthcoming. Unfortunately, some states shy away from it because they don’t have athletes. The last sports festival in Edo state, it they didn’t hold. After all arrangement had been made. I even spoke to the Edo Governor but everybody dodged it. And that’s how the sport will keep die if we don’t get serious.”
“Yes. But initially kayaking was not there. I had to fight tooth and nail. I argued that if we’re going to go to the Olympics, we must compete at national level to attract the youths. The national sports festival is our Olympics. If we don’t showcase the sports there, why do you want to go somewhere else? So, I made sure we got the sports included at the national championship. First time, we did it in Jabi Lake, at a national sports meet and delta state won.”