By Maduabuchi Kalu on August 18, 2016

The President of the Nigeria Aquatics Federation (NAF), Babatunde Fatayi Williams, has expressed excitement over the Olympian status of two Nigerian swimmers to the ongoing 2016 Rio Olympics.

The two swimmers who are already in the country after the end of the swimming events at the Rio Games are Samson Okpuakpo and Rachael Tonjor. The duo had served the country over the years having represented the nation in many national and international swimming competitions.

According to Williams, who also double as the 2nd Vice President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) his excitement stems from the fact that the two veteran swimmers may have retired from active swimming by the next Games in Russia.

Williams expressed his excitement in a telephone interview with Dailysportsng.com few hours after returning from Rio in the early hours of Wednesday. He described the Games as very exciting even as he revealed that throughout his stay in Brazil; he never saw any mosquito in the South American country, thereby rubbishing the western media propaganda on Zika virus in the country which almost cast doubt whether the Games would hold as scheduled or be shifted to another venue, probably in Europe.

“I returned this morning from the Games. It is quite an interesting Olympic I must confess,” Williams said.

“I must also commend the organisers, they did a wonderful job. Everything went on smoothly in Rio. All venues were quite fantastic. The facilities were fascinating and organisation first class. It was really nice.

“It may surprise you that throughout my stay in Brazil, I never saw any mosquito which was the major concern prior to the Games as the western media feasted on the issue of Zika virus which is attributed to mosquitoes.

“Even the issue of crime that made headlines in course of the Games, the truth of the matter is that there is no country that does not have its own fair share of crime. Are we talking of the United States of America? They have their own fair share of crime. Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Australia etc, they all have their own crime challenges.

“Having said that I think that the most exciting aspect of this year’s Games in Brazil is the fact that our two swimmers; Samson Okpuakpo and Rachael Tonjor are now Olympians. Of course nobody saw it coming as the sports ministry had since relegated swimming and some other sports as not having the prospect of winning medals at the Games.

“Of course we went to the Games courtesy FINA, who extended invitation to us to participate under the universal qualification status, which is the category C of eligibility to participate in the Games having attended the world championship with the two swimmers,” Williams explained.

•Photo shows NAF President Babatunde Fatayi Williams.

Source Daily Sports

Posted August 18, 2016

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