ICF Development Camp highlights the growth of rowing slalom in Asia
The ICF International Federation Development Camp in Pattaya, Thailand, highlighted the continued growth and improvement of rowing slalom in Asia. The training camp, which began on February 24 and will last until March 9, will be attended by 27 athletes and 13 coaches representing 15 Asian countries. Among the countries present are Cambodia, Myanmar, Mongolia and the Philippines, which are represented for the first time. There are also representatives from India, Malaysia, Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the People's Republic of China, Nepal and the Republic of Korea. The training camp will be held simultaneously with the Asian Rowing Slalom Championship, which started on March 5. Athletes under the age of 23 were divided into groups depending on their abilities: from beginners to international rowers. During the training camp, the rowers went out on the water every day, where they received expert advice. Mike Druce leads the training camp with the help of the best coaches, including Australians: Rosalyn Lawrence and Lahlan Bassett, Wei-Han Chen from Chinese Taipei and Atcharaporn Duangla from Thailand. In addition to gathering athletes, seminars are held every day to train 13 national coaches. "This is really interesting, because the level of athletes has increased, and we were also able to attract countries that did not send athletes to previous training camps. Mongolia, Myanmar, Cambodia and the Philippines are new countries, and we also have countries like Malaysia, India, Indonesia and Singapore that are really building their programs, and that's great. Some groups work at the highest level and show very good results, while others are at the beginning of their journey to understanding the fundamental skills of this sport. We do two water training sessions a day for each group, and then in the middle of the day we hold a seminar focused on the coaches present here, and then the athletes are invited. I would like them to bring as much knowledge as possible to their native country. This is an excellent investment by the ICF aimed at developing rowing slalom in Asia," said Mr. Druce. ICF President Thomas Konecko added: "It's fantastic to see more countries participating in the Asian Rowing Development Camp. This demonstrates how actively rowing slalom is developing in Asia, which is very important for the future of our sport. This coaching camp is part of the implementation of our new "Fit for the Future" development strategy, aimed at carrying out, with additional funds, individual projects to strengthen our continents and provide athletes with the opportunity to compete for medals at international competitions. I would like to thank the Pattaya coaching team for all the wonderful work they are doing to improve the skills of athletes and coaches, and wish all participants of the Asian Championship good luck."
