By Olanrewaju Akojede
Lagos – Babatunde Fatai-Williams, President, Nigeria Aquatics Federation (NAF), says that states or organisations willing to build swimming pools should consider first the cost of maintenance, advising that constructing 25-metre pools is cost effective.
Fatai-Williams gave the advice on Tuesday in Lagos in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The NAF president said that the bane of swimming pool collapse in Nigeria was more of maintenance which, he noted, was on the high side.
“To be honest, swimming pools in some states in Nigeria collapsed because of maintenance. It is no secret that swimming pools are very
expensive to manage.
“Swimming pools in Nigeria that were opened in blaze of glory are now not functioning because the various stakeholders cannot manage it, obliviously not setting up the right template for their management.
“As a federation, we always advise people to build 25 metres pool rather than 50 metres which are very expensive to manage.
“People should stop thinking that until they build an Olympic Size pool that is when they will be considered to have had a standard swimming pool. This notion is wrong,’’ he said.
Fatai-Williams said that the smaller pools could also serve the same purpose as the bigger ones as they are both recognised by the sport’s world governing body, FINA.
“The 25 metres pool is smaller and less expensive to run and it can serve the same purpose even at world events.
“At the world events level there are 25-metre pools that are used for competition side by side with the 50 metres popularly known as Olympic size.
“The 25 metres pool built for the National Sport Festival in Port Harcourt is a fantastic one, the participants were amazed with the facility and even South Africa does not have such.
“In Port Harcourt, there are two 25 metres side by side which is recognised in international competitions and I want those willing to construct theirs to also consider this,’’ he said.