Skip to main content

I’m ready to take on Africa in swimming- Tonjor

Rachael Tonjor

Rachael Tonjor

An Olympian, Rachael Tonjor, on Monday, said that she was ready to take on the rest of African swimmers at the Africa Swimming Senior Championship in South Africa.

Tonjor, one of Nigeria’s representatives to the championships, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on her readiness for the competition in Blue Mountain, South Africa.

NAN reports that she dominated the 50m and 100m Breaststroke, Butterfly, Freestyle and Backstroke at the September 7th CNS Swimming Championships at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

The veteran swimmer said she was not ready to quit the sport that had made her popular until the upcoming athletes push her out of the way.

“It is true that this is my fifth appearance at the championships; I am not showing any traces of relaxing yet. I want those behind me to prove that they are better.

“Swimming is not what you decide by yourself before I got to this level, I pushed those ahead of me out of the way, so, I expect that those behind should do same to me.

“I am not tired yet, but if others feel I am too old to compete, they should do the needful by breaking my records and that means it is their time to shine.

“To get to where I am today, so many sacrifices went underneath, I make sure that I keep fit every day, so the onus is upon those
coming behind to do same,’’ she said.

Tonjor, a member of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps, said that swimming as a sport in the country still needed a lot of encouragement through sponsorships.

“The Swimming Federation needs a lot of encouragement; we need corporate sponsors and government to come to our aid to excel.

“Swimming is one of the sports that have a lot of medals compared to other sports. There are many events in swimming that can bring medals for Nigeria.

“If the government can look in this direction and support us, I’m sure the reward will be great because we are endowed with many swimmers that can make the nation proud.

“We pray that the achievements at the 7th CNS will translate to our doing well at the South African competition, Tonjor, Nigeria’s sole
representative in swimming at the Rio Olympics in Brazil said.

NAN report that the African Swimming Senior Championships are scheduled for Oct. 16 to Oct. 23.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg
Post a Comment
Read more

FG berates US congressman over comment

Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture Photo: Femi Ipaye/PM News The Federal Government has described as sadly out of tune with reality the published letter from US Congressman Tom Marino to Secretary of State John Kerry, asking the US to withhold security assistance to Nigeria on the strength of some imaginary infraction by the Buhari Administration. In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said Congressman Marino was poorly informed about the issues he commented on, wondering why he did not take the pains to get first hand information from the US Embassy in Nigeria or any other credible source before engaging in what is nothing but a ‘propaganda of his own imagination’. The Minister said by asking the US to refrain from selling warplanes and other military equipment to Nigeria based on a faulty premise, the Congressman has demonstrated a poor understanding of global security issues. ”Insecurity anywhere i
Post a Comment
Read more

Aubameyang leads Gabon to Nations Cup

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leads the cast for Gabon as the hosts became the first team to name their final 2017 Africa Cup of Nations squad. The team captain and Borussia Dortmund star will lead the home players out for the opening game of the tournament against debutants Guinea-Bissau on 14 January in Libreville. Gabon have also named Sunderland midfielder Didier Ndong despite the player being left out of November’s World Cup qualifier in Mali. Ndong was in the capital city Libreville but failed to turn up for international duty ahead of the Mali game last month, forcing the Gabonese Football Federation [Fegafoot] to send him back to England. But a remorseful Ndong, who held clear-the-air talks with Fegafoot has been included in a 23-man Panthers squad. Other names to make the final party include Juventus midfielder Mario Lemina, Bruno Ecuélé Manga of Cardiff City and China-based striker Malick Evouna. Gabon coach José Antonio Camacho included three do
Post a Comment
Read more