The Nigeria Aquatics Federation (NAqF) has said that preparations are in top gear for the 12th Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Swimming Championship slated for the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, from July 15 to July 19.
Chinoye Aliyu, president of the federation, said this at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja adding that the tournament will discover talents to represent the country.
“This championship is a cornerstone of our strategic plan to identify, nurture and prepare elite athletes who will represent Nigeria at international events.
“Recently, Nigeria made history by breaking two African records in the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle events at the Africa Junior Swimming Championships earlier this month (May).
“It is on the backdrop of these that we encourage swimmers below 18 years of age to register as the CNS tournament has both junior and senior or elite categories.
“We are also expecting a wide range of swimmers; from tertiary institutions, the para-military, states and clubs to register and participate in the tournament.
“The federation’s technical committee and national scouts will be on ground to evaluate performances and select exceptional swimmers for advanced training,’’ Aliyu said.
The President also lauded efforts of the Nigerian Navy and the CNS Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla for his continued support and collaboration towards discovering young talents in the sport.
“I want to particularly thank the Nigerian Navy for restoring the lost glory of swimming in Nigeria.
“Like I said earlier, we broke two records in Egypt, eventually clinching three golds and one bronze medal—an unprecedented feat in the nation’s swimming history.
“This was also due to the support from the CNS who released to us Lt.-Cdr. Labake Oriretan, a former champion and seasoned coach to guide the national team during the competition,” she said.
On his part, Rear Adm. Patrick Nwatu, the chairman, Nigerian Navy Swimming Association, said the partnership has been worthwhile, stressing their continued support for the sport.
“We see supporting NAqF as one of our corporate social responsibility to the nation.
“For almost 14 years now, the Nigerian Navy has been part of this endeavour and we are constantly looking for ways to see how we can improve and contribute our quota.
“We will see how we can identify athletes to be able to participate in international events and also encourage open water swimming.
“Over the years, the collaboration has been worthwhile and we look forward to other areas we can support and partner in the future.
“The last edition was well attended and we look forward to a greater participation this year where we can have our youths express themselves,” Nwatu added.
Also in attendance at the event are Rear Adm. Yusuf Idris, the director of sports Nigerian Navy, Taiwo Oriss, the secretary general of NAqF, Dauda Usman, the vice president of NAqF, amongst others. (NAN)
