A private initiative to improve the standard of swimming in the country by Insight Sports Limited has been embraced by the Lagos State government.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of Insight Sports Limited, Idowu Otukoya, the plan is aimed at producing medal winning swimmers for Nigeria and the target is the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.
To actualise this, Otukoya, a former Lagos State athlete who represented the state at the National Sports Festival some years back said his organisation was planning to organise a week-long train-the-trainers’ clinic to hold between July11-15, 2022 at the Children’s International School, Lekki.
Otukoya said, “Insight Sports Limited is out to transform the way sports is viewed and managed by government and individuals at various levels in Nigeria. Our passion cuts across all sports but the emphasis on swimming is based on the disproportionate platforms for talent management and maximisation.”
In view of this, the company intends to change the narrative by beginning with the training of swimming coaches, who will in turn, go back to their various zones and raise future champions in swimming.
A director of the American Swimming Coaches Association, Chad Onken will conduct the clinic.
Chairman of the Lagos State Sports Commission Sola Aiyepeku welcomed the initiative and pledged the readiness of his commission to support Insight Sports Limited, saying that Lagos State government was ready to welcome good initiatives and ready to create platforms for opportunities in sports.
“In the past, sports people were left alone to do things on their own. From the experience I have had, young people with good ideas would not have to pass through such things again,” he said.
