12th CNS Swimming Championship Set to Begin in Delta State

Key stakeholders are rallying to ensure a historic and successful outing for the 12th Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) swimming competition in Delta State.

Leading the charge is the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), who has expressed strong support for the event by deploying relevant departments within the Nigerian Navy to work closely with the federation.

The Secretary General of the Federation Taiwo Oriss, applauded the CNS and also added that the National Sports Commission and the host, Delta State, is also making last-minute but impactful moves to support the event.

“We are most excited that the CNS himself has thrown his weight around this event and has deployed the relevant department within the Navy structure to work around the federation to ensure its success.

Even the National Sports Commission and the host Delta State Government is rallying around the federation at the dying minute, at the 11th hour, I must say, to ensure the success.” 

Oriss also emphasized the strong optimism for this year’s edition to surpass all previous ones, thanks to the institutional backing. He urged Delta State residents and sports lovers nationwide to support the athletes.

“We are about to see an event that is bigger than whatever we have seen before in the past.

We look forward to having the good people of Delta State around to cheer our champions to victory again.

Swimming emphatically had the highest followership at the last National Sports Festival, which suggests that Nigerians are beginning to put swimming first among other sports.” 

Swimming continues to grow in popularity across Nigeria. At the last National Sports Festival held in Abeokuta, it drew the highest crowd among all sports, a trend that officials believe reflects a national shift in sporting interest.

This trend aligns with global patterns. According to a recent release from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), swimming recorded some of the highest numbers in viewership, ticket sales, and sponsorship during the last Olympic Games, underlining the sport’s growing global appeal.

The Swimming Federation expects teams to arrive on Sunday, July 13, 2025. Practice sessions will kick off on Monday, July 14, 2025, with each team getting a one-hour slot in the pool to train and acclimatize. They’ll divide these slots between morning and afternoon.