Oluwatoyin Adejumo
9 November 2008
For three days (October 16th to 18th 2008) the best swimmers from Lagos and Ogun states converged at the Teslim Balogun Stadium for the 80th edition of the Dr. JK Randle swimming competition.
The event annually sponsored by the Randle family in honour of late Dr. JK Randle attracted some of the best swimmers from schools, and swimming clubs from both states. The 3-day event brought to the fore the best in the age grade categories as well as in other groups.
For long, the competition has produced talents but the national body has failed to develop swimmers discovered at the competition.
Coach Alaba Ihurimi who handled the club that won the event said although they won, his kids would have done better if they had good facilities at their disposal. Alaba said, they practiced in a nearby river in located at Mile 12 in Kosofe Local Government Area and appealed to the Chairman of his local governmanet area to help them design the river in such a way that it would have lanes just like what obtains in a swimming pool. Alaba, said what he is asking for is not new as the governor of Ogun State Gbenga Daniel did same in Sagamu, where swimmers trained during the National Sports Festival hosted by Ogun State.
The ex-Best Sellers Swimmer said he won five gold, four silver, one bonze medals when he represented Edo State in this same competition in 1920's. According to him, the bane of swimming in Lagos State is that swimmers are not encouraged and there are o competitions to help the swimmers develop. He buttressed his point with examples from Edo and Delta states which gives employment to their athletes after doing them proud.
"Here in Lagos, swimmers are not respected or treated properly. It is a shame that athletes only attract the attention of Lagos sports officials only when the National Sports Festival is nearby. After the festival, they dump you, while other states keep their athletes. Dr Randle has done alot for swimming but the truth is that, except one has parents who can take their children abroad for further training, the situation here in Nigeria is almost hopeless.
We have talents wasting away in Nigeria and nothing is being done by the government to stop the rot. We train in a river and you can not compare a river with a swimming pool. Yet, my swimmers won with a total point of 1,00.74 to finish ahead of others. This really gives me cause for concern.
"My kids need more competitions to get their self ready for any event. I have produced some talents who can represent Nigeria any where in the world. All we need now is encouragement and a conducive training facility," he said.
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