Agbodrafo, Togo – July 19, 2025 — From 12 to 18 July 2025, the city of Agbodrafo in Togo hosted a World Rowing Level 1 coaching course along with a national umpire training course. This initiative was carried out as part of the technical training programme supported by Olympic Solidarity, in collaboration with the Togolese National Olympic Committee (CNOT) and the Togolese Rowing Federation.
The coaching course brought together 15 trainee coaches, including three women, and the umpire course had 16 participants, including two women. The opening ceremony was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Sports and Leisure, the CNOT, and the municipality of Agbodrafo, all of whom reaffirmed their continued support for the development of sport—and rowing in particular.
The programme was divided into two parts: a theoretical component held in a classroom setting, and a practical component conducted on Lake Togo.
The umpire training was led by Inas Hammami Hafsa, an international umpire and member of the World Rowing Umpiring Commission. The coaching course was conducted by Fayçal Soula and Sahbi Khardeni, both certified World Rowing coach educators.
A Beach rowing sprint regatta was also organised during the course, with athletes from local clubs invited to take part. This event provided a valuable opportunity for both trainee umpires and coaches to gain hands-on experience with the format and operation of beach sprint competitions.
Among the coaching trainees was Ayivon Akossiwa Claire – a former Olympic rower who represented Togo at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, as well as the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing. She praised the pedagogical quality of the course, highlighting the practical approach and the use of simple, locally adapted communication tools. She stated that the course had been particularly beneficial for her.
At the closing ceremony, Sébastien Midjresso, National Technical Director and participant in the umpire training, expressed his gratitude on behalf of all trainees to the expert instructors, the CNOT, and the Ministry of Sports and Leisure for their support.
Finally, Togo Rowing President, Mr. Messan Annani, congratulated all participants and warmly thanked World Rowing for its continued support in developing rowing in West Africa, and particularly in Togo. He also expressed his hope that this collaboration with the Togolese NOC and the Ministry of Sports and Leisure will continue and be further strengthened in the years ahead.