38 participants light up IOC-NOC Aquatics Solidarity Technical Coaching Course in Lagos
About 38 participants drawn from across the Country are featuring at the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) and Nigeria Olympic Committee ( NOC ) level 1 and 2 Aquatics Sports Technical Course for Coaches, holding at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex, Rowe Park, Yaba, Lagos.
The train the trainers programme featuring 24 male and 14 female was initially scheduled to take place at the NOC secretariat, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, but later moved to the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex, Yaba, Lagos due to logistics, aims at developing Nigerian Aquatics coaches from the grass root.
Declaring the weeklong technical coaching course open on Wednesday 16th of September, 2026, President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr. Habu Ahmed Gumel, who was represented by Mrs Kemi Obidaunsi, highlighted the huge importance of the course and the need for the participants to pay proper attention to whatever the facilitator is teaching them as they will later fall back to it after facilitator must have left.
He charged the participants not to be lukewarm but proactive inorder to acquire all the needed knowledge which they will in turn, transfer to their athletes.
Engr. Gumel described the coaches as the heartbeat of the athletes since it is what they teach the athletes that the athletes bring out in return.
The President encouraged them to keep learning because, no knowledge is a waste, adding that, learning is continuous exercise that has no limitation.
He insisted: “the day we stop learning means we are dead because, it is only the deaf that doesn’t learn any more.But since we are living, we must continue to learn and learn and learn.”
The NOC President urged them to drop their old way of doing things and embrace the new horizon often associated with success.
“It is only when we give our athletes good training that they will get to podium finish. And the only way we can give our athletes good training is through good programmes of training the trainers like this,” he added.
Also speaking, course facilitator, Codric Finch of South Africa, said his mission here is to impact more swimming knowledge and experience into Nigeria swimming coaches, bridge the gap and also learn from them.
He praised the coaches for their, zeal, openness and enthusiasm to learn, noting that, he is not here to bring all the knowledge but will try as much as possible to make some section interactive so that every body will benefit.
In his speech, Secretary General of the Nigeria Aquatics Federation, Oris Oridota Taiwo, said the IOC-NOC Solidarity Coaching Course aligns with the vision of the executive board of the Nigeria Aquatics Federation, led by Lekan Fatodun and vision of the leadership of the National Sports Commission ( NSC ) led by Mallam Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade to train Nigeria aquatic coaches to ensure that capacity is built towards achieving podium finish at the Youth Olympic Games billed for October/ November 2026 and 2027 Africa Games.
