After the ICF and ECA Board meetings in Budapest in late April Jean Zoungrana, new president of the ECA, travelled to Azerbaijan for the President Cup. This was the first international competition in the role of President of the European Canoe Association for Jean Zoungrana, who is also a president of the French Canoe Federation.
Jean Zoungrana, newly elected president of the ECA, was fascinated with the organisation of the international competition in Azerbaijan where young athletes, the future champions of the sport, from 17 countries took part in the canoe sprint competitions. Not only were competitions interesting, the accompanying programme with an amazing medal ceremony will be something well remembered among the participants.
Thomas Konietzko, president of the ICF, and Jean Zoungrana took opportunity in Azerbaijan to meet with the Prime Minister Mr. Ali Asadov, the minister of sports Farid Gayibov, and Mrs. Marianna Vassileva new vice-minister of sports, as well as with the president of the federation Vugar Ahmadov and secretary general Farad Aliyev. The meetings were very important for constructive exchanges with an aim of the development of paddle sports in this part of Europe. They have also visited competition sites for hosting international events. In addition, meetings with the presidents of Moldovan, Turkish, Ukrainian and Greek canoe federations were held. Both presidents also spent time with young athletes who took part in the competition.
As the season is starting with major international events, there will be no rest for the ECA president. This week Jean Zoungrana will return to Hungary for the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup in Szeged and a week later he will be present at the 2023 ECA Wildwater Canoeing European Championships in Skopje, North Macedonia, the first ECA European Championships of the season 2023.
9.5.2023
