Observing events at a swimming gala recently in Nairobi brought out a strong pointer to the fact that the sport is quite popular among school going children than it is among adults.

The bulk of competitors in swimming events in Kenya are aged from six to 16 years, with three quarters of competitors being below 16 years with the rest making up the 25 year category.

Unlike other sports in Kenya where youth development programs have been bungled up or do not exist at all, the carnival at swimming meets shows that the sport enjoys the best foundation for the development of the discipline.

No other sport in Kenya has children as young as six years old already trained in the competitive aspects of the game; skills they learn where they go to school.

"Sadly enough, swimming authorities have failed to build on this foundation and have left the young swimmers to their own devices," Lillian Mwenesi, a parent of a budding swimmer complains.

"What is on offer to Kenya Swimming Federation (KSF) is a whole load of talent that they could mold to champions by the time these kids are in their teens."

As it is KSF does not invest anything in youth development leaving the task purely to respective school administrations.

At six years old, these children are already skilled in the right swimming strokes, turns and strategies for winning a heat.

The groundwork already done by school swimming coaches, in the face of financial constraints, is to say the least remarkable.

The failure by KSF to take advantage of the coaches' good work is a reason why many of these enthusiastic and talented swimmers drop out of the game by the time they are through with studies after accepting the fact that swimming is a hapless sport, one from which they may never attain professionalism and thus earn a living from.

When former national women's champion Eva Donde, then 15, set a new national record in the 50m freestyle at the South African Championship in 2003, she broke a record that was set in 1968 by, incidentally a classmate of her mother.

That it took 35 years to re-write this record is an ugly pointer to the slow progress of the game.

Ben Ekumbo, Chairman of the Kenya Swimming Federation absolves his association from poor showmanship and blames lack of funding for the slow growth of the sport in the country.

"The government stopped financial support to sporting associations and only provides backing on need basis like when a team is going on national assignment."

He says as matters stand, swimmers will still have to pay for their needs in the run up to local swimming competitions until such a time when things will change.

It is because of the faith the parents have in their swimmer children that they tax themselves to provide scholarship for the teens with the hope that one day they may emulate Jason Dunford, Kenya's most successful swimmer and his sibling, David.

Dunford entered the annuls of Kenya's history books during the Beijing Olympic Games when he set a new Olympic record in the 100m butterfly when he posted 51.14 seconds.

The record did not last long though a few minutes later Milorad Cavic of Serbia recorded 50.76 followed by two other swimmers including Michael Phelps. Dunford reached the final and finished fifth by swimming 51.47.

The Stanford University student owes his success to his hotelier father, Martin, who has invested a lot on his training and funds the swimmer's trips to international competitions.

Dunford revealed to Xinhua in an earlier interview that he trains five hours a day before a big event but eases up with six weeks to a competition with reduced sessions of three hours.

"The low standards of swimming in Kenya can be attributed to sub-standard training facilities and few coaches and trainers. Nothing drives me more than the support I receive from Kenyans," Dunford told Xinhua after the London Olympic Games.

The Dunford siblings have been outstanding on the global stage ever since they won Kenya her first international medals in 2006 during the African Swimming Championships held in Dakar, Senegal.

They have also recorded several firsts like being the first to represent Kenya at the Olympics and World Championships.

No local swimmer has ever come close to matching their achievements, a fact that makes swimming pundits to worry about the post-Dunfords era.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)