Junior Swimming championship pathway to 2026 Youth Olympics—official

Muhyideen Jimoh
Apr, Fri, 2025

Sports

Junior Swimming championship pathway to 2026 Youth Olympics—official

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By Ijeoma Okigbo

Chinonye Aliyu, President of the Nigeria Aquatics Federation (NAF), said the ongoing `Swim for Life’ National Junior Swimming Championship is a pathway to the 2026 Youth Olympics Games in Senegal.

Aliyu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday that over 150 swimmers, ages 8 to 15, from various states, schools and clubs are featuring in the three-day tournament in Abuja.

She said the tournament will help improve the swimming database of the federation, as they keep track of athletes ahead of the Olympics.

“ In March, we had a championship for only swimmers in the FCT that was well publicised, resulting in a commendation from the world aquatics governing body.

“ We also had commendation from the National Sports Commission, who instructed us to organise a national event after the success of the FCT championship.

“It was these commendations that gave birth to this tournament in Abuja, and so far, we have recorded lots of talents which will now form our database.

“With the event rounding up today, we are now going to keep upgrading this database, keep track of the athletes and invite them to camp periodically with the Youth Olympics in view,’’ Aliyu said.

Meanwhile, the NAF boss noted that the tournament in Abuja is more than just a sporting event but aimed at promoting water safety.

“This championship is aimed at promoting water safety while encouraging early participation in swimming.

“I believe that every child should learn to swim, not just for competition but as a life skill and watching these kids perform for a couple of days now, has been impressive,’’ she said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Joseph Edeh

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