Michael Moses representing Delta and Ayomide Bello representing Bayelsa have emerged overall champions of the 2022 Admiral Porbeni National Boat Race.
Michael Moses and Ayomide Bello represented the male and female categories respectively in the three-day competition with 130 athletes from 13 states, which was held at the Jabi Lake.
Ayomide Bello, won four Gold medals in the C1 200m (52.35), C2 200 mixed double and and C1 500 women final (with a time of 2:15:82 seconds).
Ayomide Bello, set a new African record after storming to a winning time of 47:89sec to win the women’s 200m C1 gold. Her winning time erased her previous African time of 50:00 seconds set at the 2019 All African Games in Rabat, Morocco. She also combined well with her partner, Pere Poghamote, to win women’s C2 200m mixed double gold with the championship time of 47:98 seconds.
Moses Michael won the C1 200m and C1 500m in grand style.
President, Nigeria Rowing, Canoe and Sailing Federation (NRCSF), Admiral Festus Porbeni (Rtd.), who is the sponsor of the competition, stated:
“Let me say that this competition is hinged on and motivated by the core mandate of the Federation to develop and popularise the the three water sports under the purview of the Federation.”
He stressed the need for the sport to be made compulsory at the biannual National Sports Festival as a way of further developing the sport and nurturing budding talents.
NAN reports that Delta finished first on the overall medal table with 12 gold, 10 silver, 7 bronze; Bayelsa second with four gold, 4 silver, three bonze, while Rivers and Kogi finished joint third with a gold each.
One hundred and thirty athletes from states including Ondo, Kogi, Rivers, Delta, Borno, Bayelsa, Oyo, Kaduna, Kwara, Bauchi, Niger, Cross River and FCT competed in 15 events at the competition.
Each gold medalist were rewarded with ₦100,000; Silver ₦70,000; and Bronze ₦50,000, along with certificates for all participants.
According to Ayomide Bello expressing delight with her performance:
“As African number one I feel glad and so excited that despite not training after the Olympic Games, I still beat up my African time which was 50sec and now lower it to 47:98sec in 200m C1.
With constant training and good equipment we can win gold both at the Olympic and world championship. In Tokyo I ran 47sec with little training and the kind of equipment we are managing. I believe with equipment we do better at the world level.”
The 2022 Admiral Porbeni National Boat Race, which is the 8th edition was witnessed by officials from the International Canoe Federation (ICF), African Canoe confederation, The Nigerian Navy, NRSCF and Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, among others.
