Tokyo Olympics: Privel Hinkati, embarkation for the dream
Beninese rower Privel Hinkati prepared in Caen for where he was born to prepare for his Tokyo Olympics.
© Christophe Diremszian / RFI
Text by: Christophe Diremszian
4 min
Beninese rower Privel Hinkati, 32 years old and a native of Caen, has chosen to represent his parents' country by rowing during the single-handed single scull competitions.
A personal adventure long matured and carried out by force of arms.
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It is no longer a dream.
Simply the reward for sacrifice, perseverance and daily effort.
Privel Hinkati has just done a lot more, from 6 a.m. this morning in June, on the Caen canal to the sea.
He swallowed a dozen kilometers in his 8m skiff.
One more training on the way to Tokyo and an Olympic ideal imagined nine years ago.
“
I was at the London Olympics with my sister.
I was watching the women's 400m final: I felt the stadium vibrate and it made me dream
, he recalls
.
Gradually, I put a project in my head.
I could see that it was especially necessary to help create a federation, but also all this high level, because I was already rowing in France.
But the international level is a step or two above.
"
Hold on to your dream
The challenge is gradually taking shape for this licensee of the Société Nautique de Caen et du Calvados, who must reconcile his passion and his job as IT project manager for the City.
In October 2019, this is the first outcome.
Fifth in qualifying for the Africa Zone, he obtained his ticket for the Games.
After the joy, comes the time to really embark, almost alone, for an exciting but expensive adventure ... “For
the Olympiad, I had to raise around 100,000
euros.
The equipment already costs 15,000
. We travel all over the world, internships,
lists the athlete.
Every plane ticket is expensive
!
Going to Austria, for example, is not far, but how do I do by boat
?
You have to find a car, the right trailer… It's not that simple.
"
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A post shared by Privel Hinkati (@privel_hinkati)
But Privel Hinkati clings, helped by his coaches, Jérémy Brunet in France and a woman, Reilly Dampeer in the United States, where he gained experience for a year before returning to Caen, where he discovered the rowing at the age of 14.
Daniel Transon, the former president of the Société Nautique, is proud of the progress made by his member.
“
This is the second time that we have had a rower at the Games.
The first, in 1992, had left us a few months earlier, because our structures did not allow him to complete his sporting project
, he says.
But six months later, he was fifth at the Olympics… So I especially wish Privel to have fun and not regret anything during the races he will do.
"
Trying to arouse vocations in Benin
The Games are not, however, Privel Hinkati's only ambition.
Encouraging vocations in the country with the young national federation is the other part of the project and the potential is real.
“
We have many beautiful lakes in Benin.
In twenty kilometers, you can come across lagoons, especially in the south of the country, describes the Caennais.
As soon as you get there, you really tell yourself that you have everything you need to row!
Today there are five clubs.
The goal is for rowing to become one of the favorite sports, because we have people who already have natural abilities on the water.
"In order to better identify Benin on the world rowing map, he will first seek to make a name for himself in Tokyo among the stars of the waterways and carry out a somewhat crazy challenge to the end.
► To read also: Portrait - Tokyo Olympics: Paul Daumont, the Burkinabè cyclist ready for the Japanese roads
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2020 Olympics
Olympic Games
Benign
Rowing