This much was exclusively disclosed to Daily Sports by no other person than the President of the Nigeria Aquatics Federation (NAqF), Mr. Babatunde Fatayi Williams.

According to Williams, the swimmers were accompanied by two coaches made up of a male and a female coach. The Nigerian swimming team who left on Monday will be joined by the President of the NAqF from Lausanne, Switzerland where he had gone to attend the 110 years anniversary of the world aquatics governing body.

Also speaking on this year’s Chief of Naval Staff Open Swimming Championship which is the Federation’s flagship event, Williams disclosed that the focus of everybody is on the continental Youth Games in Algiers at the moment saying until the event has been concluded that they would know the next thing about the championship.

It is recalled that the Federation had tipped the championship to hold next month after it has suffered several postponements. Even the last edition has not taken place as the Lagos State Government who pledged to play host the 2017 edition of the championship could not fulfill her promise.

In his words, “I don’t know when the CNS will hold because everybody’s attention is on the African Youth Games. Even the Ministry and all stakeholders are focusing their attention on the African Youth Championship.

“I can’t tell when the CNS will hold because there is nothing on ground. It is when we are sure of money that we will ask the athletes and the coaches to get prepared for it.”

•Photo shows Nigerian swimmers in action