LSSC Drives New Era at Dolphin Swimming League

The Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC) took a bold step forward in its sports development vision over the weekend, hosting the long-course edition of the Dolphin Swimming League at the Olympic-sized pool of the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex, Rowe Park, Yaba.

The event brought together World School Games champions, National Youth Games medallists, rising young talents, coaches, stakeholders, and an enthusiastic crowd of parents and supporters. It was yet another demonstration of the Commission’s deliberate focus on age-grade athlete development.

Beyond the thrill of competition, the meet signaled a growing shift toward structured, performance-driven youth swimming in Nigeria, with Lagos setting the pace for others to follow. Spread across three competitive sessions, the programme featured freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, and individual medley races. Distances ranged from explosive 50-metre sprints for younger swimmers to endurance-testing 200-metre events for older categories.

Athletes aged 8 to 16 showcased technical refinement, race discipline, and competitive maturity. Mixed freestyle and medley relays added further excitement, fostering teamwork across age groups while testing strategy and individual brilliance. From the opening heats to the final relays, swimmers displayed remarkable resilience despite challenging weather conditions, cheered on by parents and supporters whose applause filled the arena.

Schools such as Grange, British International School, Greensprings, Riverbank, Meadow Hall, Children International School, Corona, James Hope, Atlantic Hall, Temple, St Saviour’s, Lagoon, and Whitesands were well represented, alongside clubs including Boken Aquatics, C-Tribe, Damswim, Makosail, and TFC Champs, adding depth and competitiveness to the meet.

Under the leadership of Director General Honourable Lekan Fatodu, LSSC continues to implement a clear high-performance pathway prioritising early talent identification, structured competition, and sustained athlete engagement. Speaking through Travih Nunayon, Director of Sports, Fatodu described the long-course event as a defining step in repositioning swimming development in Nigeria.