The inaugural African School Games were held in Algeria from 26 July to 5 August 2025, spanning the cities of Annaba, Constantine, Sétif, and Skikda. Bringing together over 3,000 young athletes from across the continent, the Games provided a platform to celebrate sport, education, and cultural exchange, while promoting the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Quality Education.
Beach sprints rowing made its debut at the African School Games, reflecting its status as a Youth Olympic sport. The events targeted athletes born between 2008 and 2011 and included CU18M1x, CU18M2x, CU18W1x, CU18W2x, and CU18Mix2x events.
World Rowing, in partnership with Olympic Solidarity, aimed to increase participation across member federations and provide young athletes with a pathway to the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal and Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The initiative was supported by two certified World Rowing coaching educators, Sahbi Kardani and Vincent Tassery, and a local manager, Youcef Mezghrani, with significant assistance from the Algerian and Tunisian Rowing Federations. Five nations participated in the rowing events.
This event offered young rowers an invaluable opportunity to gain experience in beach sprints, develop skills in a continental competition setting, and prepare for upcoming major events such as the Africa Youth Games in Angola. It also demonstrated the potential of structured youth development programs and international collaboration in elevating the standard of rowing in Africa.
Photo credits: Africa Rowing
