LAGOS ALL SAIL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT

Written by Amarachi Ogbonnaya.

the maiden Lagos All-Sail Championship has come and gone, but the excitement that greeted the 3 day tournament  brought clamor to water sports in Lagos State.


The event kicked off at the BICS Jetty venue of the championship in Lekki, Lagos on Thursday, 13th   to Saturday, 15th December, 2018, with a horde of skilled rowers from the 36 states including the FCT, Abuja taking to the waters.

Winners have also emerged in various events as the tournament went down as one of the country's most keenly contested water racing championships in recent times as contestants colored the Lagos lagoon with exciting and unforgettable performances in three categories of rowing, jeskying and boat racing.


At the end of the tournament, it was Bauchi's duo of Benjamin Kunumen and John Fashim that emerged as winners, posting a time of 9.56secs to clinch the Harbour award for contestants in the traditional rowing on canoe category.


In the most prestigious prize of the day- the Kig of the Sea award was won by Lagos State Waterways Agency (LASWA) crew which beat all other contestants to clinch top place in the speed boat racing category, while the boat named Quantum of Solace of the James Bond fame, breasted the tape to finish as the Queen of the Sea.


Youthful Sunday Adeboye who thrilled the crowd with his skill and dexterity on the jesky (Wave Runner) carted home the Prince of the Sea prize after beating three other contestants in a keenly contested race.


For th e initiator of the championship, Maleek Shehu, the contestants deserved accolades for their courage and athleticism, adding that they symbolized the essence of the race itself.


"We salute the courage, skill, competitiveness and athleticism of the participants because they symbolized the essence of this event. We are glad that we have, in our own way added value to water sports in the country, as well awakening a new consciousness to the many untapped potentials of the huge body of water. Lagos is blessed with. We are therefore committed to sustaining this noble objective as we look forward to a bigger and more exciting event for next year," he said.


Nigeria's former Chief of Naval Staff and now president of the Nigeria Rowing, Canoeing and Sailing  Federation, Rear Admiral Festus Porbeni (rtd) was on hand to do the presentation of the trophies and medals while popular TV Presenter, Frank Edoho was the event's MC.


The event had the likes of notable celebrities such as Nancy Isime, Frank Edoho, Timi Dakolo, etc.