Nairobi — The Kenya Water Sports Trust (KWST) in partnership with the Federation of Italy Canoeing and Kayaking intends to stage two major international canoeing events next year.

This, the managing trustee of the KWST, Seifudin Patwa, said, should be able to revive the sport in the region and also open up and boost the western and coastal circuits of tourism.

Patwa said the second edition of the Diani-Malindi International Canoeing Marathon will be held in September and will be followed by the inaugural Jinja-Kisumu International Canoeing Expedition on Lake Victoria in November.

Patwa intimates that the initiative follows the success of the Beijing Olympic Games Africa qualifying round for canoeing and kayaking that was held January last year at Masinga Dam and the first edition of the Diani-Malindi International Canoeing Championship that was staged November 5-8 last year.

Patwa, who is the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Continental Representative for Africa, said they require Sh3 million to host contestants from 20 countries for the five-day Diani-Malindi race.

The race will cover 150 kilometres and Sh5m will be required for the Jinja-Kisumu race, a five-day invitational event featuring night stop-overs on islands on the vast lake.

Italians Daniele Scarpa and Francesco Gambella, the 1996 Olympic champions, with five canoeing world records, are expected back for the Diani-Malindi Marathon.

Scarpa won the first edition of the event that is held a few metres from the coastal shores covering four stages of 40km each daily.

Foreign entrants will pay a participation fee of Sh80,000 for accommodation and equipment, including the canoe, paddles and life jacket for use during the competition that is open for men and women aged 15 years and over.

Italy, Germany, South Africa and France, who boast world class rowers, are among the countries that will provide competitors drawn from Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa.

"We are yet to survey the areas where contestants will be docking daily," said Patwa "We will decide to the dates of the event while putting into consideration the weather conditions of the day for security purposes," Patwa, who is also the Confederation of Africa Canoeing (CAC) secretary general, told the Daily Nation, in the company of Francesco Gambella of Italy Canoeing Federation (ICF)

He made a passionate appeal to the corporate world and other well-wishers to fund the two championships.

"The biggest challenges are equipment. We must provide competitors with the canoes hence this is an expensive affair for us," Patwa explained.

The surf-ski canoes that are specifically meant for ocean racing and safety jackets will be imported from South Africa for the two championships.