Canoeing and Kayaking beckons Sri Lanka
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NACKSL has received support from all over to introduce Dragon Boating to Sri Lanka
Buoyed by the recent success achieved by our athletes in boxing and weightlifting, at the recent Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia, undoubtedly, the best performance by the country to date at Commonwealth Games, this article explores the future prospects for a relatively new sport introduced to Sri Lanka 14 years ago, in 2004.
Canoeing and Kayaking is an Olympic Sport in over 158 countries and covers many a discipline namely, C1, C2 and C4 in Canoeing and K1, K2 and K4 in Kayaking. There is also the discipline of Canoe Slalom (CSL), for C1 and for K1, which are usually held on whitewater courses, but this discipline is yet to be introduced in Sri Lanka for competitions.
Canoeing is in a kneeling position on the boat, while Kayaking is in a seated position. Yet another difference is that the Canoeing paddle has a blade only at one end of the paddle, whilst a Kayaking paddle has blades at both ends. The 1s, 2s and 4s in both Canoeing and Kayaking means competitions with 1 paddler, 2 paddlers and 4 paddlers in each boat, respectively.
The same applies to Para paddling, but Para competitions are restricted to 1s and 2s at present. Competitions are carried out on flat water, rapids and in the ocean. Then there are also Surf Ski, Canoe Ocean Racing (COR), Stand Up Paddling (SUP), Dragon Boating (Synchronised paddling by teams of 10/20 paddlers in each boat, to the beat of a drum), which is now the latest discipline to be introduced to the country, by the National Association for Canoeing and Kayaking, Sri Lanka (NACKSL).
All of the aforementioned disciplines require strength and power from the shoulders, the arms and the legs, along with synchronised use of body and mind, in addition to stamina and technique. However, the primary muscles used for CSL Paddling and COR are the core trunk muscles and not the arms, shoulders or legs. Dragon Boating is ideally suited for Leadership Training and Team Building Exercises.
“It has been quite a struggle and a learning experience to have nurtured a sport from its inception to date, given there are not many takers for positions as volunteers, especially when a new sport is introduced to a country. Fourteen years is not a long period for a new sport, considering that a majority of Sports in Sri Lanka are almost a century or more in existence. Furthermore, the task becomes even more difficult, particularly in schools, with demands of the curriculum taking precedence. Yet, schools are where budding talent exists, which could be gradually developed over the years to reach international levels. Then, there are the issues of funding and sponsorships for new sports, with the already long established popular sports attracting most of the sponsors and the limited resources available with the Ministry of Sports, to ensure a reasonable spread of funding amongst the numerous sports registered with them,” Prithiviraj Perera founder presidentNACKSL said.
It is under such circumstances that the NACKSL has paddled its course to date. Starting from base in 2004, it now has a stock of over 48 boats, covering a good majority of the disciplines in Canoeing and Kayaking, namely, C1,C2, C4, K1, K2 and K4, Para Canoes, Kayaks and Dragon Boats, all of which have been obtained through donations from other Asian Federations such as India, Iran and Japan whose Japan Canoe Federation (JCF) gifted 2 Dragon Boats.
“We also had International Canoe Federation (ICF) certified coaches sent here to train our trainers, from the Asian Canoe Congress (ACC) and the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association (IKCA), courtesy the ICF. The ICF-Olympic Solidarity has also sponsored a Level 3 coaches training programme for our National Coach at the Semelweis University in Budapest, Hungary, a leading centre for capacity building in Water Sports. All this involved much networking with our counterpart International Federations such as the ICF, ACC, JCF, and those of Iran and India. Attending Annual Congresses of the International Federations are deemed very important, to establish valuable contacts and networks amongst the International Community towards building capacities,” Mr Perera added.
Over the years, the sport has grown in Sri Lanka, with a wide array of disciplines and more paddlers taking part in competitions, particularly from the Defence Services, with the Sri Lanka Navy playing a major role and some senior paddlers having entered the semifinals and finals at Asian Championships. The NACKSL has also been able to identify and promote some young talent too. Visulmina Samanga of St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa, who has been practising the sport from the age of 14 years, has grown to compete well in Kayaking Sprints at the Asian Regional Level. He is now in the Sri Lanka Army. In addition, Kavindi Ranatunge, a 15-year-old girl from St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo, was awarded a scholarship to compete at the qualifying competition held in Barcelona, Spain, in early April, with a view to qualifying for the Summer Youth Olympics, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in August. The NACKSL stresses that all these efforts are necessary for experience and exposure for a fledgling sport in Sri Lanka, to enable its paddlers reach the next international level. In Canoeing and Kayaking, Paddlers generally peak from their mid 20s to early 30s.
Athletes trying out the newly introduced Dragon Boating at Diyawanna Oya
“Our biggest success to date has been in Ocean Kayaking, where 32-year-old Chathura Vishwanath Jayaratne, a Network Engineer working in Singapore, who has competed in Dragon Boat Paddling, Outrigger Paddling and Surf Ski competitions held in Italy, Australia, Singapore, Hawaii and Hong Kong, won Gold at the Asian Canoe Ocean Racing Championships in Hong Kong, in November, 2017 and also finished 25th out of 292 competitors, at the ICF World Ocean Racing Championships in Hong Kong, the same week. He is being coached by Hungarian Denes Szaszek, who describes Chathura as a natural champion who has the potential to perform at international levels, given proper financial and training support. He would, therefore, need more race experience, equipment support and preparation competitions, estimated to cost about US$ 60,000, over the next 5 years,” explained Perera.
“Chathura’s future success can bring an island nation like Sri Lanka, great recognition worldwide, as an Ocean Kayak Racing (OKR) hub, expose the possibility of hosting international OKRs in the country and nurture a dedicated national athlete who could support the local paddling community with paddling clinics and coaching.”
Most countries plan out strategies for sports development and then invest thereto with intentions of producing world champions. An island nation such as Sri Lanka, with so many waterways spread islandwide, can really take Water Sports to centre stage, if given the required focus, support and sponsorship. The Defence Services too could play an important role, given their outreach countrywide, to spread the sport using the available waterways in the country. Dragon Boats also offer great opportunities for Sports Tourism and Dragon Boats festivals, with the sport present in over 70 countries worldwide, including China, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, India, the USA, Australia and Canada.
“We owe our progress to our founder members, our present office bearers and Executive Committee members who have given their unstinting honorary support, whenever needed, despite their busy schedules in their respective professions. We urge schools, clubs and the corporate sector interested in Canoeing and Kayaking, to please get in touch us at the Diyawanna Rowing Centre,” Perera urged in conclusion.