Team trains in China
May 07 2008 03:01:45:593PM  - (SA)  

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They are one of 17 nations to attend a pre-Olympic training camp on the artificial course, on the outskirts of Beijing, at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Park.

Team members Siboniso Cele, in a single canoe and double canoe partners, Lindelani Ngidi and Cameron McIntosh were generously sponsored their tickets to attend the camp by the Dihlabeng Municipality in Bethlehem.

With less than four months to go before the opening of the Games the South African’s are making the most of every opportunity to get onto the challenging water. Across the board boats have been flipping over in the rough rapids and even double Olympic Gold medalists, Peter and Pavel Hochshorner from Slovakia have had to Eskimo Roll themselves out of trouble a few times.

Cele said: “It is great to be back here again after the Welcome Beijing race last August. I am much more confident on the water now and pulling off some sweet gates. It is just a bit too cold.”

Temperatures have been in the low teens most days and the pollution had reduced visibility dramatically. In the past week the half-way mark of the 2 km accompanying rowing course could only be seen once.

“I am glad to have Jerome here with us,” Ngidi said “as he is giving us many good tips.

“ I am looking forward to arriving in Europe in a few weeks because then we will get coached every day and will improve even more.

“It is good for me to see how these guys are improving and are more motivated than ever before.

“They are getting more comfortable on the course with each session and it is a difficult course.

“Our preparation is going like I want it to go but we cannot for one second take it easy,” Perrin added.

A surprise bit of marketing for the team is the broadcast of a radio interview with Radio Netherlands World Wide they had last month in Holland.

It is part of the new program, Bridges with Africa, and can be heard by visiting the AmaDonsaDonsa website at http://www.amadonsadonsa.com.

Perrin has also secured a deal with a French TV company to follow the teams build-up leading to the Olympics in August.

“I really hope that this will give us an edge to get a main sponsor now.

“We have been working very hard on getting an exclusive sponsor.

“Jerome has also got us coverage in a French magazine next month with a reader-ship of over a million.

“I have set up TV interviews back home for next week. I am sure we will get that main sponsor soon,” McIntosh, the eternal optimist, said.

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