By Maduabuchi Kalu on September 18, 2016

Chairman of the Main Organizing Committee of this year’s Chief of Naval Staff National Swimming Championship, Commodore Turaj Mustapha Bello, has given reasons why this year’s edition of the annual Chief of Naval Staff national swimming championship is different from the previous editions.

According to him, this is the first time the championship which was primarily instituted for elite swimmers will be accommodating grassroots swimmers thereby making provision for both senior and junior categories in the competition.

Commodore Bello gave the reason of the difference on Friday during a press briefing to announce to the public about the competition which has suffered several postponements due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of both the Nigerian Navy, the main sponsor of the annual swimming championship and the Nigeria Aquatics Federation (NAF).

“I would like to welcome all of you to this press briefing of the 7th edition of the Chief of Naval Staff National Swimming Championship and before I go further, I would like to tell us a brief history of this championship,” Commodore Bello said.

“This championship was first staged in Benin City, Edo State in 2000 and after that there was a break until 2009 when the various sports associations were concessioned and the then Chief of Naval Staff in conjunction with authentic friends of swimming sponsored the second edition of the championship which held in Kaduna in 2010. And I want to state that since 2010, the Nigerian Navy has continued its sponsorship of the championship except for last year that the championship could hold due to obvious reasons.

“In 2011, the third edition was held in Ilorin Kwara State, while the fourth edition took place in Calabar, the Cross River State capital. The fifth and sixth editions of the championship took place in Oghara and Warri in Delta State in 2013/14 respectively.

“This year’s edition is taking place in Lagos, the centre of excellence for the first time. I want to, on behalf of the Chief of Naval Staff and the Nigerian Navy, appreciates the Lagos State Government for accepting to partner with the Nigerian Navy to stage this championship even at a very short notice. The championship was actually slated to hold in Calabar last year but due to the huge responsibility to preparing for the National Sports Festival and other commitments of Cross River State Government the championship couldn’t hold.

“Meanwhile, this year’s edition is going to be unique in the sense that for the very first time in the history of this championship, we will be having two categories.  We are introducing in this edition the junior category where young swimmers in primary and secondary schools will take part in the competition.

“The competition was actually designed for elite swimmers but we are introducing the junior category in order to discover younger swimmers who will be able to take over from our aging elite swimmers. That is why we are going to the grassroots by introducing the junior category in this year’s edition in conjunction with the Nigeria Aquatics Federation,” Bello explained.    

The CNS is the flagship annual swimming championship in the calendar of the Nigeria Aquatics Federation that both swimmers and officials anxiously look forward to it every year.

The well attended press briefing which held at the Sports Bar of Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere had in attendance, the President of the Nigeria Aquatics Federation, Babatunde Fatayi Williams, the representatives of the Chief of Naval Staff who doubles as the Vice President of the Nigeria Aquatics Federation, Rear Admiral B.A. Egbedina, the Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Aquatics Federation, Steve Onyeacholam, the representatives of the Lagos State Sports Director, Mr. Nanoyon Travih, the Chairman of Delta State Swimming Association, Mrs. Aliu, the Chairman of Lagos State Swimming Association who also doubles as the Vice Chairman of the Technical Committee of NAF, Rev. Samuel Jesimiel among others.

•Photo shows Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas.

Source Daily Sports

Posted September 18, 2016

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