The Secretary-General of the Nigeria Aquatics Federation (NAqF), Taiwo Orise, has backed a 15-year-old Nigerian swimmer to win a medal at the Youth Olympic Games, citing his natural talent, commitment and steady improvement despite limited training facilities and competition opportunities.
Orise said the youngster, who has been shortlisted to represent Nigeria at the Youth Olympic Games, had demonstrated the potential to compete with the best despite training under challenging conditions.
The NAqF scribe described the swimmer as a product of determination and self-motivation, noting that his dedication to the sport had set him apart from athletes who enjoyed better training facilities and more frequent competitions.
“He is training under a poorly equipped coach, and he is better than those who have sound coaches. He is training in an environment where competitions do not take place every week. Rather, we have competitions quarterly,” Orise said.
“Yet, he is better than those who have competitions week in, week out. The guy is just a natural talent.”
Orise revealed that the teenager’s commitment to swimming was evident in his daily routine, as he trains before and after school in pursuit of his ambition.
According to him, the swimmer reports at the pool as early as 6.30am, trains until 7am before heading to school, and returns to the pool in the evening for another two-hour session.
His dedication, Orise said, was driven by an ambition he had nurtured since the age of 12: to compete at the Youth Olympic Games.
“From the age of 12, this young boy has said that one day he wants to make the Youth Olympic Games. Today, he has been shortlisted to represent Nigeria at the Youth Olympic Games,” he said.
“He is intrinsically motivated. He has a passion, he has a desire, and he is putting in so much work, drive and commitment to making a beautiful career for himself in swimming.”
The federation secretary-general expressed confidence in the youngster’s medal prospects, saying he would be his first choice if asked to identify a Nigerian swimmer capable of reaching the podium at the competition.
“Although he is 15, and you know the Youth Olympics is for 18-year-olds, I am that confident. If they ask me to pick one athlete who has the potential to give us a medal, I will pick him first,” Orise said.
He pointed to the teenager’s performance against older competitors and his growing international exposure as reasons for his optimism.
The swimmer has represented Nigeria at several international competitions, including the Africa Youth Games in Angola, an event in Egypt, the World Junior Championships in Romania and an Africa Zone Two competition in Senegal.
Orise said the youngster had performed well and continued to improve with each international outing, adding that the experience gained from competing against stronger opposition would strengthen his prospects.
At the last Africa Youth Games, the swimmer claimed bronze behind two South African competitors, according to Orise, who believes the experience has further enhanced his chances of producing another strong performance.
The NAqF official also said the swimmer’s emergence was helping to challenge perceptions that Nigerian swimming was not yet competitive enough to merit greater investment from sports authorities.
He noted that the discovery of promising young swimmers was providing fresh encouragement for the federation and strengthening its case for swimming to receive more attention and resources.
In the past, he said, the sports authorities had often been reluctant to invest in swimming because of concerns about the country’s competitiveness in the sport.
However, the progress of the teenager and other emerging talents has given the federation renewed hope of building a more competitive national team.
Orise said the youngster’s journey should serve as an example to other aspiring swimmers, while encouraging sports administrators to invest in athletes with the potential to excel internationally.
For the federation, he added, the teenager’s development demonstrates that Nigerian swimming can produce athletes capable of challenging established powers when talent is matched with commitment, exposure and adequate support.