The second edition of the Ibadan Age Grade Swimming Championships will hold on April 18 and 19 at the University of Ibadan Swimming Pool, with over 150 young swimmers expected to participate.
According to the event’s convener, Oluwatimilehin Olaiya, preparations are in top gear to ensure a successful tournament, which she described as a talent discovery platform aimed at grooming future swimming champions for Nigeria.
Olaiya noted that the maiden edition in 2023 featured 100 swimmers, but this year’s numbers have grown significantly. “We expect not less than 150 swimmers. This is a talent discovery tournament and we expect the best in this year’s edition,” she said.
The competition, scheduled to start by 9 a.m. daily, will feature 60 events, ranging from 50m freestyle to 400m long distance, with all strokes — including backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly — contested.
Participants are expected from across South West Nigeria, with four swimmers per state, as well as entries from schools and tertiary institutions. Age categories range from six years to adult, and two university students participated in last year’s edition.
The event has received support from sponsors such as MTN, Rite Foods, and GB Agboola. Top technical officials for the championships include Jesimiel Samuel, Dr. Ibikunle Odebunmi, Jimi Banwo, and Risikat Ebeloku-Mustapha.
