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Canoe-kayak: Algeria bids for hosting Olympic qualifying tournament

ALGIERS- Algerian Federation of Rowing and Canoe-Kayak is bidding for hosting the Olympic qualifying tournament for Africa, in the specialty of single-seater canoe-kayak slalom (in running water), the body governing the sport said.

The tournament qualifying for the Tokyo-2020 Games was scheduled to take place in Huningue, France, last March, following a decision by the International Canoe Federation (ICF), but did not, due to the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19).

"As the pandemic delayed the Olympic Games for a year and, consequently, the qualifying tournament, we consulted with the African national federations via videoconference to express our refusal to see the qualifiers take place outside Africa," the president of the Algerian Federation of Rowing and Canoe-Kayak, Abdelmadjid Bouaoud told APS.

A call for bidding was thus launched by the International Canoe Federation.
In addition to Algeria, three other countries will be racing to win the privilege of hosting Africa's Olympic qualifying tournament of canoe-kayak slalom (in running water).

The four bidding countries are Algeria, Egypt, Namibia and South Africa.