Life as a Tunisian canoe sprint athlete is hard enough already for Outail Khatali without the extra challenges which have been thrown his way at this week’s 2019 ICF junior and U23 canoe sprint world championships in Pitesti, Romania.

Just getting to the championships was stressful enough. The team arrived on Wednesday, the day before competition, after having to sit at Frankfurt Airport for nine hours. And then to add to the drama, Khatali couldn’t find a boat he felt comfortable in ahead of his K1 1000 heat.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Khatali tailed out in his race, but he’s not too worried because his main focus is the K1 200.

“I’m not too happy, but I’m satisfied because I was not 100 per cent concentrated on this race, and I’m hoping the 200 will be better,” he said.

“It was a very long trip. I felt very heavy on the water. I hope I can find a boat that I like for the 200, one that I am used to paddling with.”

The big picture isn’t this week’s event in Pitesti for Khatali, although competing at any form of world championships for Tunisia is always a big thrill. His focus, and that of his teammates, is Tokyo next year.

Tunisia’s current Olympic record stands at three athletes over two Games – London 2012 and Rio 2016. 29-year-old Mohamed Mrabet has been to two Olympics – 2012 and 2016, and Khatali hopes to be there next year, hopefully in a boat alongside Mrabet.

“We have a goal of having three athletes in the next Olympic Games, and right now I’m also preparing for the K2 1000 with Mohamed,” he said.

“We have eight quotas available in the African Games, and that is what we are preparing for.”

It’s never easy taking on the might of Europe when you have limited resources, challenging training conditions and limited regular quality competition. And with canoe sprint growing in strength throughout Africa, it’s getting even harder.

“We don’t have good conditions, and that is why we can’t go to the best level in the world,” he said.

“We train on a river, and you have to paddle into the tide. We have good coaches, but the conditions are very bad. The last time we bought boats was 2010, but they were not good boats because shipping is expensive.

“But this is Africa. We have to move to reach another level. We get no help. It’s always a poor country. But canoe sprint is getting more popular, especially with our Instagram stories we are posting every day.

“But it is still in Africa. People watch only football.”

The lure of the Olympics is what keeps him going, battling the tide in a 10-year-old canoe in training runs that he doesn’t find that enjoyable.

“It’s always a dream, for everyone here,” Khatali said.

“I started canoe when I was in college, when I was 13.

“A friend told me there is this fantastic sport in the water, there is a boat and you can go and paddle. The first bit was amazing, but when I started to train every day, it has never been amazing.”

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