About 400 young children from 23 private schools within the Lagos State metropolis compete against each other in the just concluded swimming competition organized by the Aquatic and Swimming Federation of Nigeria, ASFN.
The tournament consists of different events ranging from freestyle, backstroke, butterfly as some of the youngsters within the age bracket of 6 to 17 years tried to outdo their peers in the presence of their parents, families and friends as they cheered to victory.
At the end of the 3-day intensive competition, Faaiq Tijani of (Solid Foundation Montessori School, Ilupeju) and Olamma Akaniro (Hill range International Academy, Ikeja) emerged winners in the boys and girls senior categories.
Speaking to reporters after the event, Faaiq Tijani, hinted that despite being nervous going into the competition, he thanked God for putting up an excellent performance in the championship.
According to Olamma Akaniro, she put in so much hard work to get to this point, promising to go the extra mile in subsequent championships to get a gold medal.
However, the parents also expressed their excitement seeing their children perform well during the competition.
Reflecting on the turn out and participating schools, Organizers of the event say such competition will put swimming on a good pedestal, hoping that the Federation will continue to throw its weight behind the sport to discover and nurture talents to stardom in future.
In a related development, the Lagos State WaterWays Authority, LAWSA, has introduced a week long water safety class and swimming training for pupils of primary schools in riverine communities of Epe Local Government Area.
On his part, the General Manager, LAWSA, Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, hinted that they are promoting swimming culture among children from public schools so as to prepare them for the future in the aspect of water transportation, safety and skills.
One of the Instructors, Kemi Adigun, emphasized on the importance of swimming both as a sport and as a lifesaving skill, appreciating the organizers for the opportunity given to children.
10-year-old, Haliyat Edu, a pupil of Mega Grace Academy, narrates her experience and what she has learnt during the program.
