Rowing: Federation Plans 5 More Dev Centres

The Secretary of the Nigeria Rowing, Sailing and Canoe Federation (NRSCF), Victor Anusa, says the federation plans to open five additional development centres in different states to help in talent discovery.

Anusa, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos said that the centres are to educate canoe enthusiasts that canoeing is a competitive sport that could be lucrative.

NAN reports that the federation opened the first of its sports development centre on 20 December, 2010 in Calabar, during the Cross River annual carnival.

“The federation has mapped out plan to open other development centres, five more to make it six.

“And these development centres will, by the programme of the federation, be opened first quarter of next year,” the secretary said.

According to him, the centres will further create an awareness in the regions that apart from celebration and pleasure there is competitive canoeing.

He noted that Cross River had already begun to identify talents.

“It is now left for grooming and featuring these talents for competitions,” Anusa said.

He said that the only constraint the federation has was providing standard equipment for the new centres in Bauchi, Plateau, Imo, Ondo and Bayelsa.

“We have the challenge of providing standard canoes of at least 10 pieces for each centre, accompanied with 20 paddles and other paraphernalia to sail off the programme,” Anusa said.