As part of the “Movember”, renamed M’Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire – a month of mobilization aimed at raising funds and donating them to charitable organizations – the Ivorian Olympic athlete Franck-Aimé N’Dri Kouadio is organizing voluntarily rowing initiations on the Ebrié lagoon. rowing, a little-known sport in Côte d’Ivoire.
With our correspondent in Abidjan, François-Hume Ferkatadji
Navigate in the heart of Abidjan, in almost total silence. A pleasure made possible by the practice of rowing that Franck-Aimé Kouadio intends to promote. For two weeks, he has been on his streamlined novice boat on the Ebrié lagoon.
” Once installed you grab the oars like this. The left hand always above the right hand », He explains to a participant. Finding the rhythm and the balance to split the water smoothly is the first challenge for beginners.
Laure Gnagbé Blédou came with her daughter to try the experience for the first time. ” It was great, the calm is overwhelming… And then, the rowing itself, well it’s not easy to coordinate, etc. But it’s really interesting. Me, it made me want to do it anyway », She says.
Franck-Aimé Kouadio discovered rowing in 2018. In 2021, in Tokyo, he participated in the semi-finals of the Olympic Games. ” It was wonderful. It’s a dream come true. And there, I was very happy, very happy, with all these great champions », He confides to us.
With only 8 licensees in Ivory Coast, this sport remains unknown but according to the Olympic athlete, the spaces to practice it are numerous in the country. ” We have plenty of bodies of water which are wonderful! So you can train and develop rowing well at home. Here we have a lot more material “.
The proceeds from this initiation are donated to 3 Ivorian NGOs. And the initiation continues next weekend