A total of 274 students from 20 primary and secondary schools in Lagos will compete in the inaugural Inter-School Swimming Competition, sponsored by NNPC-SNEPCo (Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited).
The event is scheduled for Saturday and will take place in the swimming section of the prestigious Ikoyi Club 1938.
The 274 young swimmers, aged six to 15, will participate in various events including freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke, and individual medley.
Ikedichi Kanu, Chairman of the Swimming Section at Ikoyi Club 1938, shared details during a media briefing on Wednesday.
“The participation is all-inclusive, and this event will be held annually. Twenty schools registered before the deadline, resulting in the selection of 274 students from across different schools in Lagos for Saturday’s competition.
“We are committed to elevating the quality of swimming competitions. We expect more swimmers to join in future events. The competition format will see some updates as well. Saturday’s event will be live-streamed on our social media platforms. Additionally, all 274 swimmers will have Swim Cloud accounts to maintain their personal information and event rankings.”
Akinbulejo Onabolu, Vice Chairman and Games Captain of the Swimming Section provided insights into the event organization.
“The seeding process will streamline the event, allowing us to see more efficient heat placements and reducing the time used for various categories.
“We focus on introducing the sport to young swimmers, so rather than cash rewards, we will award medals to not only the first, second, and third place participants but also to sixth place in all categories.
“In future competitions, we plan to implement electronic timing. However, results from Saturday’s events will be announced in real-time.”
Regarding safety measures, Kanu emphasized the importance of precautions in collaboration with NNPC-SNEPCo.
“The Swimming Section has a dedicated Technical Sports Committee that has made significant arrangements to ensure safety, including strict protocols. At the entrance to the pool, there will be a medical booth staffed by two nurses and a doctor, along with a First Aid kit.
“An ambulance will be on-site, lifeguards will be stationed around the pool, and security personnel will also be present.”
Onabolu added that the Ikoyi Club 1938 Swimming Section features two large pools; the family pool will be closed for the event, while access to the competition pool will be restricted. Lifeguards will monitor both the family and competition pools to ensure safety.
Akintayo Adenubi, Head of Sponsorship for the Swimming Section, and Secretary Babatunde Pearse expressed their gratitude to NNPC-SNEPCo for sponsoring the event.
“It has been a challenging year in Nigeria. Securing a new sponsor during this time is significant for us. We envision this championship as an annual event, aiming to continually improve and establish new standards. With this competition, we hope to see positive developments and growth in the future.”
