The First South East Asian Canoe Ch

[OKKAR66129@xxxxxxx]

Subject: The First South East Asian Canoe Championships

The New Light of Myanmar
Monday, 10 January, 2000

The First South East Asian Canoe Championships

The First South East Asian Canoe Championships was successfully concluded in 
the Golden Land of Myanmar in December 1999. The successful completion was 
not only due to the support of the highest sport authorities of the State, 
but also due to the technical supervisory assistance of the World's highest 
canoe sport authority ICF (International Canoe Federation) and the regional 
canoe confederation ACC (Asian Canoe Confederation) and due to the keen and 
active participation of officials and athletes of the member South East Asian 
countries.

The opening ceremony held on 10th December, 1999 was highly honoured by the 
presence of the State dignitaries, the Secretary-General of the ICF Mr Otto 
Bonn, the Secretary-General of the ACC Mr Ali Ghalamsiyah, the President of 
the South East Asian Canoe Federation RAdm Basoeki (Rtd) and other 
high-ranking officials from the ICF and ACC. The holding of the canoe 
championships originated from the meeting between water sports officials who 
attended the 19th South East Asian Games held in Indonesia in 1997 during 
which Myanmar was nominated to initiate the inaugural First South East Asian 
Canoe Championships. Since then, the Myanmar Rowing and Canoeing Federation 
contacted its counterparts of the member countries of ASEAN and with the help 
and lobbying by the ICF Development Co-ordinator for Asia, Mr Csaba Szanto, 
who travelled occasionally in the region, the Canoe Championships was finally 
held from 9'hto 12'h December, 1999 at the Inya Lake in Yangon.

Among the important feats accomplished during the regional Canoe 
Championships were:?

(1)  A record number of eight South East Asian nations participated in the 
Canoe competitions while nine countries attended the Congress.

(2)  A record number of 32 events were held and as every event had a minimum 
of 4 entries (nations), no event had to be cancelled.

(3)  A record number of officials attended?3 from ICF, 3 from ACC and 2 from 
SEA Canoe Federation ? apart from participating countries.

(4)  An International Canoe Umpires' Seminar and Examination was conducted by 
2 ICF officials. 4 Myanmar, 2 Malaysian, 1 Indonesian and I Thai canoe 
officials passed and will become ICF Official Card holders who are entitled 
to officiate in International Canoe Competitions.

(5)  Election of the President RAdm Basoeki (Rtd) (Indonesia), the 1st 
Vice-President Professor Dr Than Toe (Myanmar), the 2nd Vice-President Mr 
Dzulkafli Abas (Malaysia) and Secretary-General Mr Nguyen Hoang Hung 
(Vietnam) of the South East Asian Canoe Federation for the year 2000-2002.

(6)  Resolution by all member countries of South East Asia to request the 
Olympic Committee of Malaysia for inclusion of the Canoe sport in the 
215'South East Asian Games to be held in Malaysia in the year 2001.0nly if 
this is unsuccessful, Vietnam is to host the 2nd South East Asian Canoe 
Championships.

(7)  The ICF, ACC & SEACF officials and athletes of participating nations 
were able to meet and discuss in an amicable spirit for further development 
of the Canoe sport in the region.

The Secretary-General of the ICF who was present throughout the Canoe 
Championships in Yangon from 8'h to 13'hDecember, after returning to his 
homeland in Hungary, wrote a short letter to the National Olympic Committees 
of the South East Asian Territory and distributed copies of the letter to the 
National Canoe Federations of South East Asia regarding his findings, views 
and comments on the First South East Asian Canoe Championships and Congress, 
some excerpts of which are reproduced below for the interest of sports 
enthusiasts and the public.

"The experiences I got during the events have exceeded every expectation. The 
most important facts were as follows:

? 80% of the countries belonging to this region attended the Championships 
and 90% the Congress.

? the very good preparation and arrangement of the Championships on the Inya 
Lake ensuring excellent conditions.

? the support granted by the highest sport authorities to the organisation of 
the Championships, and the active participation of the leaders. 

?the enthusiasm of the competitors, the efforts made in the interest of 
obtaining better results, the appreciation of the sport, their claim to get 
the knowledge of our sport.

The overwhelming majority of the federations participating in these 
Championships are very young federations in the International Canoe 
Federation. I was really pleased to see and experience what a great step they 
made forwards in the knowledge of our sport, the use of the canoeing 
techniques with the assistance we could grant them in the frame of the ICF 
Development Programme.

On the occassion of the Congress we discussed many questions and I gave 
information on the ICF opinion in several subjects. Among them there was a 
very essential item which could have a good effect to the further development 
of our sport in this whole area. It is necessary to grant further assistance 
and support in technical equipment, in education and employment of experts 
(coaches, referees) and frequent participation in competitions, which will 
place the competitors before more and more difficult tasks. This could be 
realised partly by the further maintaining of the ICF own Development 
Programme and by the support granted by the local sport authorities.

The competitors of Asia, within it those of South East Asia are capable to 
earn the right to participate in the canoeing competitions of the Olympic 
Games to be held in 2004 in Athens at the qualification events to be 
organised in advance. To realise this aim it would be a very favourable 
contribution if the SEA GAMES to be held in 2001 in Kuala Lumpur had in its 
programme the canoe/kayak sport events ."

The Myanmar Rowing and Canoeing Federation wishes to pay tribute through 
these columns to various State Organs, the National Olympic Committee, 
Leading Organisation Committee, Competition Organising Committee and 
Sub-Committees, Women's Sports Federation, the Yangon City Development 
Committee and to all sponsors for contributing their manpower, precious time 
and resources in one way or another for the highly successful holding of the 
First South East Asian Canoe Championships. Our special thanks are conveyed 
to the invited guests and 'nigh level officials of the International Canoe 
Federation and the Asian Canoe Confederation for their full time presence, 
whole hearted support and valuable assistance rendered during the 
Championships. Finally, we thank al1 participants and honour the outstanding 
athletes, and also the diplomatic corps from the ASEAN countries, without 
whose active participation and support, this memorable Canoe Championships 
would not have been possible to be held.

Article : Tun Oo ( Myanmar Rowing & Canoeing Federation )