As there is no a suitable site to train in the country, the Somali rowing and canoeing federation has encamped ten rowing athletes Sweden in preparations for the upcoming All African games in Mozambique.

With the assistance form Somali National Olympic committee, the Somali Rowing Federation this week launched the training course in the Swedish city of Gävle where the athletes will continue their daily training sessions until they will head for the All African games slated inMozambique for September 3-18 this year.

Somali National Olympic committee Secretary General Abdullahi Ahmed Tarabi who addressed at the launching ceremony of the training urged the young athletes to work harder so that they will be able to score a tangible success for their homeland during this year’s all African games.

The president of Somali rowing and canoeing federation Said Mahmoud Heyd for his part said that his federation and the Somali NOC had spent much time and efforts to succeed the implementation of this training center.

“We are committed to developing rowing and canoeing in Somalia and we want you to take your turn so that we can realize our ambition to have powerful Somali athletes among international rowing gatherings” the president told the young athletes.

Despite difficulties and lack of a suitable place to training in the country, the Somali rowing Federation authorities are doing their utmost to keep the game a live in Somalia which has been experiencing one of the worst civil wars in the world for the past two decades.

By Shafi’i Mohyaddin Abokar