Bonthe Island are crowned champions of the Sierra Leone Canoe Federation Inaugural National Canoe Championship following are colorful and electrifying atmosphere.
Originally slated for the Sea Coach Car Park at Aberdeen Beach, the event was relocated to the federation’s HQ club house on Lumley Beach following a “routine safety and logistics assessment” of the original venue, according to the federation’s scribe.
The championship, timed as part of Independence Day activities, brought 8 coastal communities who all raced in the 200-meter sprints for one-man, two-man, and five-man canoes, alongside a 500-meter dragon boat race for ten-man crews.
After several categories of battle at sea, the crew from Bonthe dominated the day to secure the Championship title and as well the Le 40, 000 (Fourty Million Old Leones) cash prize whiles Mama Beach finished second and secure the Le 25, 000 (Twenty-Five Million Leones and Black Johnson securing the Bronze Medals with a cash prize of Le 15,000 (Fiften Million Leones).
President of the Federation, Abdul Karim Koroma Junior said they are pleased to have hosted the first ever National Championship adding that it is the beginning of more development and success for the sport. “This is our first major event because and we learnt a lot from the organization, the necessary equipment wanted as well as athletes safety.
The National Championship did not only expose talent in the sea but also stamp the Federation authority on both the National and global stage, after they secured recognition from the National Sports Authority, the National Olympic Committee, the Confederation of African Canoeing, and the International Canoe Federation—bodies that together set the standards for everything from paddles to podiums.
For a nation celebrating 65 years of independence, this first stroke of the paddle was symbolic as it is sporting: proof that Sierra Leone is ready to race beyond its shores.