Individuals who have contributed to the development of inique sports in Africa are this weekend’s focus of African Voices, CNN International’s 30-minute magazine programme sponsored by Globacom.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Friday, Globacom said that Nigeria’s Rafy Abrahamyan, a scuba diver, and South African horse rider, Shepherd Zira, will be profiled in the programme.
The duo are described by CNN as some of “Africa’s sport seekers who are unafraid to take on challenges many of us would never dream of tackling. These individuals dare to push the limits and pursue their passions – regardless of the payoff.”
The international news station, in a vignette it released on the edition, said it is celebrating Shepherd Zira because he is “one man who is overcoming hurdles in the equestrian world and winning awards along the way”, while the Nigerian Abrahamyan “has a love for adventure and a desire to discover the uncharted waters of Lagos.”
Shepherd Zira is the world’s first black professional Lipizzaner rider. The South African Lipizzaners to which he belongs became the only performing Lipizzaners outside Vienna and are affiliated to the Spanish Riding School. His passion for horse riding started when he was 11 and he quickly learned the art from his father. At only 22 years of age, he is already a star in the sport.
Rafy Abrahamyan will engage viewers on the sport of diving, what ignited his passion to take up a sport that is not quite popular in Nigeria and the challenges he has faced exploring the waters of Lagos.
Globacom said African Voices will go air at 10.30 a.m. on Friday with repeat broadcasts at 4.30 p.m. on Saturday and at 12.30 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. on Sunday. Further repeats are broadcast at 11.30 p.m. on Mondays and at 5.30 a.m. on Tuesdays.