Ghana, Togo, Others Set For Lagos Water Regatta

ALL is set for the Lagos Water Regatta scheduled for April 19 at the Regatta Village, Lagos. The Navy Sailing Club, Ijaw Youth, Police Swimming team and other swimmers are part of the competition.

  Chairman Lagos Swimming Association Samuel Jesimiel, said local swimmers are also being mobilized from different local governments and clubs for the competition. 

  The Regatta has the Open Water Swimming as part of the competition, and the female category will compete in  2km, while their male counterparts will swim in 3km. Nine States and two countries are expected to be part of the competition.

   The states are Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Rivers, Bayelsa, Alka Ibom and Cross River, while the two expected countries are Ghana and Togo. 

  Speaking further, Jesimiel who won medals for Nigeria in the 1970s said that swimming is a sport that cuts across all ages, adding that the last edition in 2014 was purely a developmental programme.

  “A lot of talents were discovered last year and majority of them were below 15 years because it was purely a developmental swimming programme. We competed at the Ibile secondary school local government senior competition and we won nearly all the medals,” he stressed.

  He however commended Governor Babatunde Fashola on his effort in the Nigeria Aquatic Federation, saying that it had brought a lot of encouragement.  Jesimiel further solicited for provision of more facilities to foster performance in international competitions.