By; AYO OJEDOKUN Lagos
Chairman Technical Committee of Nigeria Aquatics Federation, Steve Onyeacholam, has explained the rationale behind the Federation’s decision to include schools in this year’s Chief of Naval Staff Open Swimming Championship which is slated to take place in August in Lagos.
According to the former national swimmer, the introduction of schools in this year’s championship is to have transition from age group to the elite swimming category.
He said that there is need to expose the younger generation of swimmers to a competition of international category; so that they will get themselves acquitted with what is expected of them when they migrate to the elite swimming category.
He further stressed that the Chief of Naval Staff Open Swimming Championship is an elite swimming competition for states and institutions in the country.
“It would recalled that it has always been the Federation’s Big annual event for the year as both officials and athletes always look forward to it.
“Also before now, the championship has always been seen as an elite competition in the calendar of the Federation, but we deemed it necessary to introduce the school or age group category in this year’s edition as a means of transition for the younger generation of swimmers to the elite category”, explained Chairman technical.
