Mount Kenya Aquatics stakeholders convene in bid to revitalize regional swimming

Over 70 aquatic stakeholders from the Mount Kenya Region on Thursday held a convention to enhance the standards of swimming across their locales.

The meeting, which drew a diverse group of coaches, parents, officials and school administrators from select counties, discussed among many topics the registration and formalization of clubs with the Sports Registrar, safety of swimmers, need for professional development among coaches, and the need to establish a harmonized regional calendar and a database to track swimmers' rankings and accumulated FINA points.

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Among the counties present were: Laikipia, Nyeri, Tharaka Nithi, Kirinyaga, Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyandarua and Meru.

Addressing the need for formalization of club and county structure Swim Safe Kenya Director Dr. Douglas Okatso urged proper registration through the country’s Sports Registrar, and in a bid to tackle the rising incidents of drowning across the region, emphasized the need for authentic qualifications among coaches, particularly emphasizing lifeguard certification to combat the prevalence of unqualified individuals posing risks under false credentials.

On coaches development, Omar Ali Omari announced upcoming initiatives, including several coaching and officiating clinics designed to empower local talent.

Reflecting on his experience at the XVI Africa Aquatics Swimming Championship in Luanda, Angola, where he served as team manager, Omari shared valuable insights gained that could benefit Kenyan aquatics.

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And in a continued move by Kenya Aquatics as a whole to introduce more water sports, water polo legend Paul Mungai announced a partnership with counties to diversify the game in the country, with swimwear companies Yingfa Swimwear, in collaboration with Genesis Sports Limited, pledging to support the revitalization efforts through sponsorship programs aimed at fostering excellence among swimmers.