Aspiring international canoe paddlers from all over the world have gathered in Budapest, Hungary, for a talent identification program ahead of the opening Canoe Sprint World Cup of 2018.

The TIP camp is a joint project being run by the International Canoe Federation and the Hungarian Canoe Federation, and has attracted 40 athletes and four world-class local coaches.

The TIP camps are specifically designed to target young athletes in countries where canoeing is not a mainstream sport, or where there are limited resources and facilities.

The Hungarian camp has attracted interest from athletes from almost every continent, including paddlers from Egypt, Venezuela, North Korea, Iraq, Guatemala, Vietnam and Tajikistan.

The opening days of the camp have involved speed and technique testing, and physical and medical tests.

The camp is also benefitting from the incredible support of contract partners, Nelo and Plastex, who are providing nearly 60 boats for the entire one month of the project.

The camp is also being run in conjunction with the opening ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup, which will be held in Szeged, Hungary, from May 17 to 20.