The maiden American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) clinic began yesterday at Children’s International School, Lekki, Lagos, with over 100 swimming coaches in attendance.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the weeklong event, Managing Director of Insight Sports Limited, Idowu Otukoya, said he was excited with the take off of the programme after months of rigorous planning.

“We are determined to contribute to the development of sports, particularly, swimming in Nigeria,” Otukoya said. “We are even more excited with the calibre and number of coaches that turned up for the programme. And they too are excited and hungry to learn,” he added.

Otukoya said the target was Brisbane 2032 Olympics.

“We intend to raise swimmers that can win medals for Nigeria. Remember, Nigeria is yet to win a medal in swimming since participating in the Olympics. We want to change the narrative,” Otukoya said.

Nigeria’s first rower, Babajide Egbele, said he was delighted to see the ASCA (American Swimming Coaches Association) certification programme is holding in Nigeria for the first time.

“Normally, when you want to do the ASCA programme, you go through levels one, two and three. But here we have it happening in Nigeria, everything lumped in one. I just hope we are going to have this more often,” he said.

The former Nigeria international praised the effort of Insight Sports Limited and the Lagos State Sports Commission in seeing the programme come to fruition.