Russia, one of the teams competing in this year’s Rafting World Cup Series at Rapids Camp Sagana, has fielded a team of beginners as part of its long-term strategy to expose young athletes to the international stage.
“We need to grow new teams and develop new paddlers. I think Sagana is the perfect place to start an international racing career,” said Nikita Zhuravlev, captain of the Russian Rafting Team.
Russia, which has one of the youngest squads at the competition with an average age of 23, has entered four teams in the 2026 Rafting World Cup Series, comprising two mixed teams, a men’s team, and a women’s team.
“I expect to enjoy my time here, make new friends, experience Kenya’s beautiful nature, and also visit one of the national parks to see the wildlife,” added Zhuravlev.”In our idea, in our dream, the goal is for Sagana to become one of the top World Cup event destinations in the world. We need to start somewhere. After the competition, there are committees that evaluate what was good and what needs to be improved. Personally, I am confident everything will go very well. Every championship helps us make the next one even better,” said Danilo Barmaz, President of the United Rafting Federation.
A total of 19 countries are competing in this year’s Rafting World Cup Series, with 13 African nations joined by teams from Japan, Russia, Italy, and other countries.
“I think it will be a great competition because we have many countries participating. Organising an event like this for the first time is not easy, but motivation is very important. With around 20 countries present, it is like a small World Championship, featuring many strong teams. Most importantly, from the perspective of the United Rafting Federation, we are delighted to see so many African countries taking part. We must continue working to make rafting in Africa stronger,” Barmaz remarked.
Barmaz also welcomed the growing number of young people taking up white-water rafting, describing it as a positive sign for the sport’s long-term growth and sustainability.
“One of the main goals of my presidency has been to bring rafting to young people because they are the future. There is no future for any sport without youth. The merger that created the United Rafting Federation in April was the first step in building a strong youth movement. What we are seeing here is proof of that vision. This is the future. Without youth, there is no history,” added Barmaz.
