Sports

Aquatic Federation plans big for swimming in 2022

Published

5 years ago

January 1, 2022

The Aquatic Federation of Nigeria has said that Nigerians should expect to see more activities in the Federation in 2022 stressing that their swimmers would be fully engaged so as to put them in top shape to compete at any international swimming competition.

President of the Federation, Chinoye Daphey Aliy who stated this in her New Year message expressed happiness with the modest achievement they were able to achieve in 2021 despite the short period they had last year to work, and with the covid-19 pandemic that stalled most sporting activities all over the world.
Nevertheless, Madam Daphey maintained that the Federation is not allowing the challenges of 2021 to distract them in their quest to ensure that Nigerian swimmers get the best of 2022.

“Firstly, I want to thank the Almighty God for allowing us to see this 2022. 2021 was not that easy with our swimmers. But thank God all those are gone with 2021 and 2022 provides us with a fresh opportunity to begin afresh, and it is our plan to make judicious use of every week, and month of the year to engage our swimmers.”

The Aquatic Federation president revealed that the board would be meeting in early January to roll out their program for the year while assuring that the meeting would definitely come up with decisions that would definitely move Nigeria swimming in the right direction. More so, she maintained that unlike before, Nigeria swimming news would feature more regularly in the news media to enable Nigerians to follow the activities of the Federation and Nigerians swimmers.

“I want to assure you that swimming is going to take a different direction in Nigeria, unlike in the past where you hardly know about the happenings with Nigerian swimmers, this time around, our activities would be adequately projected in the media because we believe that it is only through that we would be able to get the attention of the sponsors.

“It is the mandate of this current board to produce swimmers that would be able to compete favorably with their counterpart in the rest of the world and be in a position to win medals at the Olympics.”

“I want to use this opportunity to wish our swimmers, stakeholders, friends of the Federation, my fellow board members, and particularly, the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday are a prosperous 2022, she concluded.

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Sports

Nigeria Targets Grassroots Sports Revival as Tinubu’s Aide Adeboye Unveils National Sports Grassroots Summit

Published

1 day ago

November 5, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Grassroots Sports Development, Adeboye Adeyinka, has called for a comprehensive overhaul of grassroots sports development in Nigeria, urging stakeholders to prioritise youth empowerment, education and national development alongside medals and trophies.

Adeyinka stated this on Thursday in Abuja during a press conference while announcing the 2026 National Grassroots Sports Summit, scheduled for November 18 and 19 at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The summit, with the theme, “Creating a New Pathway for Sustainable Grassroots Sports Development,” is expected to bring together government officials, sports administrators, state and local government representatives, private-sector investors, development partners, coaches, athletes and other stakeholders.

The presidential aide stressed that sports development must be measured not only by international achievements but also by the number of young Nigerians whose lives are positively transformed through participation in sports.

He noted that while sporting excellence could lead some athletes to Olympic medals and World Cup glory, sports also offered millions of young people opportunities for education, personal development, employment and social inclusion.

“Sometimes, when we discuss sports development, we speak about stadiums, trophies, medals and international competitions.

“But I want us to remember that at the heart of every sporting achievement is a human being,” Adeyinka said.

He explained that participation in sports could help young Nigerians secure university scholarships, develop discipline, build confidence, acquire life skills and stay away from negative influences.

According to him, sports should be recognised as an important instrument for building character, strengthening communities and creating opportunities for young people, irrespective of their backgrounds.

On talent identification, Adeyinka expressed concern that Nigeria continues to lose potential sporting talents because many children lack access to adequate facilities, qualified coaches, encouragement and organised talent-discovery programmes.

He emphasised the need for an inclusive grassroots sports system that would provide equal opportunities for children in rural communities, public schools, underserved areas and different socioeconomic backgrounds.

The presidential aide maintained that a child’s sporting prospects should not be determined by geographical location, family background or connections to influential individuals.

He warned that without a coordinated approach to identifying and nurturing young talents, the country could continue to miss opportunities to discover future champions.

Adeyinka said the forthcoming summit was designed to develop a sustainable national framework for identifying, nurturing and supporting sporting talents across the 774 local government areas.

He added that the gathering would seek practical solutions to the challenges affecting grassroots sports administration rather than focus solely on speeches and ceremonial activities.

A major objective, he explained, was to move away from fragmented talent-discovery initiatives towards a coordinated national structure connecting school and community competitions with clubs, national competitions and international sporting opportunities.

The two-day summit will deliberate on five key areas: sports participation, talent development, infrastructure, the sports economy and international pathways.

Adeyinka expressed optimism that the recommendations from the summit would provide a roadmap for strengthening grassroots sports development, expanding youth participation and positioning sports as a viable contributor to Nigeria’s economic and social development.

He called on relevant stakeholders to support the initiative and work collectively towards building a sustainable grassroots sports system capable of identifying and developing talents across the country.

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