The canoeists from over 15 countries in Africa competed at the 9th Confederation of Africa Canoe Sprint and Para Canoe qualifiers in Abuja, Nigeria, with contestants hoping to land a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Athletes took part in 18 races for men and women, including singles, doubles, and mixed doubles categories, with eight qualifier tickets up for grabs from Wednesday, November 22 to Saturday, November 25.
Competing at the event were athletes from Djibouti, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, São Tomé, Senegal, Seychelles, Uganda, Angola, Tunisia, Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt and South Africa.
While athletes from other countries were fully kitted in their country jerseys and the proper sports shoes, some of the Nigerian athletes were either barefoot or wore slippers.
Also, the sporting activities, which took place in Jabi Lake in Abuja, were said to have been poorly organized with very little funding.
The environment was also not properly groomed. Instead of well-manicured lanes, the grass in the area was overgrown and dirt littered the lawn where athletes gathered.
Nigerians have taken to Twitter to slam the organisers of the event while pointing out how the job they did reflects poorly on the nation.
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