By Olanrewaju Akojede

Team Delta’s star swimmer, Dorcas Oka, has broken a 33-year-old national record in the women’s 100m freestyle event.

The previous record of 1:00.72 was set in 1992 by Ikaghoemi Joshua and had remained untouched until now.

Oka clocked a new time of 59.59 seconds at the National Sports Festival (NSF) in Abeokuta.

The event took place at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena swimming pool during the ongoing NSF.

She also shattered the NSF record of 1:01.54 set by Bayelsa’s Ifiezibe Gabgbe in 2021.

Speaking on the sidelines, an elated Oka expressed her joy at achieving the feat.

“I’m very happy to break this long-standing record and contribute another gold medal to Team Delta,” she said.

Taiwo Oriss, Secretary General of the Nigeria Aquatic Federation (NAqF), hailed the performance and shared insights into recent progress.

He attributed swimming’s resurgence to a strategic plan developed by the federation and now yielding results.

“We approached things differently this time. That’s why swimming is getting more attention.

“We came in with a clear strategy, analysing our current state and goals for the sport.

“This is a key moment in our mission to revive swimming in Nigeria,” Oriss added.

He revealed that 2024 began with a plan to identify young swimming talents nationwide.

The NAqF launched a programme called ‘Swim for Life’, with participation from four northern states.

Later in the year, a national coaching course was held to address knowledge gaps among local coaches.

“We discovered many coaches lacked awareness of new rules and techniques.

“In some cases, coaching methods did not align with international best practices,” he said.

The federation then retrained over 40 coaches, equipping them with up-to-date knowledge.

Oriss also highlighted the impact of a recent tournament in unearthing new swimming talent.

The federation organised a National Junior Championship for swimmers aged eight to fourteen.

The event saw participation from over 14 states and attracted a large crowd.

“It helped us identify fresh talent and served as a national team selection platform.

“Some young swimmers even flew in from abroad and joined our development programme,” Oriss noted.

Reflecting on the 2024 NSF swimming event, he praised the rise of a new generation of athletes.

“This year’s festival is clearly different – fresh faces are now winning medals.

“The pendulum has swung toward new discoveries like Abduljabar Adama, Oka, and others,” he said.

Ahead of the Junior Championships in Egypt, a month-long training camp was organised.

“Swimmers said it was their first experience of a proper pre-competition camp,” Oriss noted.

Training camps were held in Lagos and London after school hours, accommodating secondary school swimmers.

“We have more development programmes planned and we won’t relent,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo