Swimmers drown in cash-crunch 'river'

Nigeria's hope of attending this year's edition of the Juniour African Swimming Championship now holding in Mauritius, got sunk yesterday, when the Secretary of the nation's swimming federation, could not reach the president for funds to undertake the trip to the 'Pearl' of the Indian Ocean.

nigeriasports.com gathered that, the federation's scribe left for the Port Harcourt base of the president "since last week," but as at the time of this report, he has not succeeded in reaching him.

We gathered from our investigations that, the new president, who is also the Sports Commissioner for Rivers State, Allwell Onyeso "had been difficult to track down for matters affecting the programmes of the federation, since he stepped into the shoes of his State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili.

When the Governor was the President in the last dispensation, the federation's boat had very smooth sails; but not so again. "We had thought that, since the Commissioner was the Governor's choice, he would do same or something close at least, to his boss.

"But there has been no such signs since he assumed the position and the fortunes of the sport in the country and beyond, seems to be nose-diving by the tick of the clock," we were told.

The continental event splashed-off in Mauritius today (August 18, 2005) "and as we are talking with you, nothing has been heard from the secretary, Dans Adokiye, who left for Port Harcourt on a fund-seeking mission to the President.

This development in essence, means that the country is out of the championship this year...and it does not speak well of a nation that is striving to keep her place of pride among other African nations."