Lagos, the first time an all-electric powerboat racing competition held in Africa, hosted a race in the rain-soaked nation’s capital city on Sunday to compete in the UIM E1 World Championship.
Nine of the world’s top sports and entertainment stars were waiting for hours while the finals were delayed by a previous tropical storm, which had delayed the tournament’s start.
Read more about Lagos’ transition to waterways for a green transportation solution.
The E1 Lagos Grand Prix, which is the penultimate round of the season, took place on Lagos’ lagoon in preparation for the season finale in Miami later this year.
Since the championship’s second-round split increased from five to seven races, Africa is the fourth continent to host an E1 race in the series’ second season.
In addition to Jeddah, Doha, Monaco, and Miami, competitions have been held in the past.
We are incredibly proud to be here because “Africa needed to be there, the motherland needed to be there,” founder and CEO Rodi Basso told AFP.
He said, “We are incredibly proud that we have won seven races in four continents in season two, compared to five on two continents in season one.”
Rain or shine
Fans poured into white tents as watching areas along the coast as afrobeats music blared from large speakers and vendors sold food, including Jollof rice, a staple of Nigeria.
Some fans drank champagne from the balconies of hotels and high office buildings.
Out of curiosity, 61-year-old advertising executive Bumi Oke and her husband attended the race.
The race’s hostility and the organization’s ability to host global events gave “Nigerians” more confidence in their own ability to do so.
When you hold international events, business continues, she said, “Come rain, come sun.”
Didier Drogba, the legendary football player from Ivorya, and his partner Gabrielle Lemaire, who had a major role in the first-ever introduction of the race to the continent, mingled with the winners and posed for photos on the podium following the race.
Olympic-winning athletes like Drogba, Tom Brady, LeBron James, LeBron James, and Rafael Nadal, who are all famous for their own E1 teams, are also famous for their global sporting and entertainment stars.
The race was won by Team Brazil, which is owned by tech entrepreneur Marcelo Claure, with Team Blue Rising from India, second place, and Drogba’s team coming in third.
For each team, there are two pilots for each team, each with a different sport’s unique combination of motorsport, go-karting, and powerboating.
Source: Channels TV
Leave a Reply