By Benedict Nwachukwu, Abuja
…Takes Talent Hunt to Schools
Worried by the recurring failure to win medals at international swimming championships by Nigerian swimmers, the Aquatics Federation of Nigeria has set out to battle the medals drought to a standstill and turn the country to medals haul by redirecting the federation’s focus to grassroots talent hunt which has taken it to the schools nationwide.
Disclosing this in Abuja recently, the Secretary General of the federation, Sani Mohammed said NAF in collaboration with Realworth Consult have embarked on talent hunt for swimmers at the grassroots level by introducing The All Schools National Swimming Competition with a view to drastically eliminating the medals drought that has bedeviled the country’s participation at major international Meets.
Sani Mohammed noted that the All Schools National Swimming competition billed to begin on Monday with one month of intensive training for schools nominees has various categories based on age group. He noted further that the age categories will have underage male and female from nine years to 13 years, then junior male and female from 14 years to 17 years respectively.
According to him, “Each school is required to register by filling of registration forms after communication of nomination and to provide two participants per category. In addition, participants from schools will undergo one month of intensive training managed by the National Coaching crew.”
He added that the ASNSC was borne out of patriotic need to build a strong Nigerian Swimming team both in the underage and junior category to meet up with the yearly international swimming Meets organized by FINA and other swimming bodies which seeks to promote swimming as a sport at the grassroots level, produce the potential state team that will compete at the national level and search and form the potential state and national teams hidden in schools that will ultimately represent Nigeria at future international swimming Meets.
The Logo of the ASNSC which has the full endorsement and support of the Department of Quality Assurance Secondary Education Board and Universal Basic Education Board will be unveiled on the 30thof this month while the Draws and Grouping of participants will hold on June 5. The Heats will hold between June 21 to 23 while main event takes the centre stage from June 27 to 29 at the Package B of the Abuja National stadium and tour around the states of the Federation.
Calling on all schools and other bodies involved to troop out and encourage the children by ensuring their participation as the future swimmers and medals hope of the country, the Secretary General of NAF said Realworth Consult is a Content Development and Management company and an affiliate member of the federation with a passion to develop sports at the grassroots level, especially the aquatic sports.
Speaking, the Managing Director of Realworth Consult, Abimbola Nicholas Ike lamented that Nigeria is yet to tap into the opportunity of using viability of sports industry like most developed countries. Citing the US where sports industry is expected to hit $73.5b this year, the MD noted that the swimming sport in Nigeria is the worst hit. “Swimming is one of the few sports that generate multiple medals and we are still to key into it. It is not an over statement when we say that grassroots sports development is crucial to the development of the Nigerian sports industry and this is one of the key missions of the Nigerian Aquatics Federation.”
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