By Daily Sports on December 14, 2016

President Muhammad Buhari last week in Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, endorsed the much-awaited President Open Swimming Championship when the President of the Nigerian Aquatics Federation (NAF), Mr. Babatunde Fatayi Williams and some members of the board of the Federation including the Chairman of Open Water of the Federation, Rev. Samuel Jesimiel were led to the Aso Rock Villa by some Distinguish Senators such as Godswill Akpabio and Kabiru Gaya who are involved in the championship.

According to Rev. Jesimiel, the Federation’s visit to the Villa was to seek President Buhari’s nod and at the same time intimate him about the championship which will hold any time this month in Jabi, Abuja. Rev. Jesimiel, a member of CANA Committee on Open Water Swimming stated this in an exclusive telephone interview with Daily Sports on Monday.

He said President Buhari was excited with the idea of President Open Swimming Championship which is aimed at developing Open Water Swimming in the country. Jesimiel revealed that the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung was summoned to the Villa by Mr. President as he was not with them when they visited and the Minister was at the Villa in a jiffy.

He told Daily Sports that the Federation is delighted with the way President Buhari received them and endorsed the championship. He revealed that they are billed to return to Abuja between Tuesday and Wednesday in order to put finishing touches to the arrangements for the championship. Rev. Jesimiel said it was after their visit to Abuja that they will announce the date for the championship which of course is going to signal the end of the activities in the Federation’s calendar for 2016.

“I must tell you that my heart is full of joy because all the efforts we have been making over the past months have yielded the desired fruit. It has yielded the desired fruit in the sense that President Buhari has endorsed the much awaited Presidential Open Water Swimming Championship,” Jesimiel stated.

“We met the President at the Aso Rock Villa and he welcomed the idea of the President Open Swimming Championship. He was excited over the idea and he didn’t waste time in endorsing it. That is why I am happy because all our efforts are not in vein in these past months.

“To tell you how interested Mr. President is, we were there when he asked the Hon. Minister of Sports and Youth Development to come to the Villa as his people were in the Villa and within a jiffy, the Minister landed.

“It was not only the Hon. Minister of Sports and Youth Development that was in the meeting, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, on whose territory that the championship will hold was also in the meeting. I must tell you that it was very fruitful meeting that we had with Mr. President.

“We are yet to fix the date for the championship because we will be going back to Abuja either on Tuesday or Wednesday to put finishing touches to the arrangements. It is after that that we will be able to announce the date for the championship. But the fact remains that the championship is going to take place this month like I told you before now.

“This is a championship that ought to have taken place since March. Again, this is the very first time that we are going to have President Open Water Swimming Championship in the annals of the Federation. So, history is being made with this championship.

“More importantly, Abuja is lucky that it is hosting the first President Open Water Swimming Championship. This championship was to take place in Akwa Ibom but over time, they seemed not to have been destined to be the first to host the championship as they did not take concrete step towards realizing the championship.

“We believe that the success of the championship will spur competition among states to host the championship in subsequent editions,” Jesimiel enthused.

The championship has suffered many postponement just like the CNS Open Swimming Championship suffered many postponement before it was held in Lagos some months back.

It is important to state here that Open Water Swimming Championship is one of the three aquatics sports that the Nigeria Aquatics Federation (NAF) want to pay special interest in developing owing to the abundant fresh water stretches in country which states can leverage on to develop the sport in the country and help the nation win laurels in international competitions in the multi medal sports.

Source Daily Sports

Posted December 14, 2016

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