The Antigua & Barbuda Canoe Racing Association (ABCRA) is on a mission to attract people to the group and increase public awareness about kayaking/canoeing.

Owing to the fact that many people are not familiar with the sport, the group is hosting a fun day tomorrow from 11 am at Runaway Beach, the acting president of the association, Andre Simon said.

According to Simon, the organisation – which operates under the umbrella organisation, the National Olympic Committee – is “trying to get as much persons as possible to support kayaking.”

At Sunday’s event, there’ll be barbecue and entertainment will be provided by local DJs, including Wardadli Soldiers and Crucifix, he said.

Simon noted that the highlight of the day will be the many kayak races in which attendees can participate.  To ensure the safety of the participants, lifeguards and coastguards will be on duty, the acting president added.

Also, he said, the participants are required to wear life jackets and will not be allowed to go beyond the designated boundary in the water.

For those who might be into lighter sports, there’ll be sack racing, lime and spoon and the bounce castle for the kids.

Next year September, Antigua & Barbuda will host one of the kayak races in the region, Simon said.

Therefore, “The vision is to introduce the sport into all the high schools and… compete in regional and international championships,” he noted.

The ABCRA representative said it is the group’s hope to get the government of Antigua & Barbuda to approve the inclusion of kayaking in high schools’ curricula.

He said the group has been lobbying with the South African government and they have signalled interest in donating 40 to 100 surf skis to Antigua & Barbuda, free of cost.

Simon is upbeat that once the group receives the skis and more businesses on the island support the sport, the government of Antigua & Barbuda will consider the introduction of kayaking in schools.

ABCRA currently has about 26 members.  The group was initially formed in the early 1990s, but was re-established in 2005.

However, he said, due to lack of equipment, the group’s progress was hampered and it was not until it recently received nine new training carts from Puerto Rico that it has become more active.

The association holds open-day training sessions at Pigeon Point every Sunday from 2 to 6 pm.

The group extends appreciation to Rabi from Antigua Nature Tours, Reef Garden and the National Fitness Centre for their support.