Ogheneruona Tejiri, Asaba
Edo State has emerged overall winner of the just concluded National Junior Swimming Competition held at the Stephen Keshi Stadium Swimming Pool Complex, Asaba, organized by the Nigeria Aquatics Federation.
The State topped the medals table with eleven Gold medals, four Silver medals and three Bronze medals to beat other states and clubs that competed.
The Host State, Delta finished second on the medals table with six Gold, nine Silver and four Bronze medals while Jimi Osinowo Swimming Club came third, with four Gold, two Silver and three Bronze medals.
Highpoints of the closing ceremony included presentation of trophies to Edo, Delta and Osinowo Swimming Club, Lagos .
A total of seventy eight medals were presented to various individual winners in the twenty six swimming category events competed for in the National Junior Swimming Competition.
Meanwhile, a breakdown of the medals table revealed that a 15 year-old female athlete from Edo State, Agnes John, won six Gold medals , 17 year-old Mabel Gillow from Bayelsa won two Gold medals.
Declaring the National Junior Swimming Competition close, Mrs. Chinenye Dafe Aliyu, President, Nigeria Aquatics Federation, Mrs Chinenye expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the three-day competition.
She said that the competition was organized as part of preparations for the country’s participation in sub continental junior swimming competition slated to hold in Accra, Ghana later in the year as well as other international championships coming up in Egypt and Israel.
The Nigeria Aquatics Federation President was optimistic that the athletes selected from the National Junior Swimming Competition in Asaba will do the country proud.
While express appreciation to the Delta State Government and the Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Tonobok Okowa for their support, the NAF President noted with thanks the effective coverge provided for the competition by members of the Delta State Chapter of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN)led by its chairman, Christian Eze, just as she lauded the level of officiating and the conduct of the coaches all throughout the competition.
She urged the junior swimmers at the competition to remain in the sports, saying that swimming as a specialized sports, provides opportunity for them to pursue professional degree programmes relating to sports including medics.
