Kunle Adelabu
The erstwhile captain of the Lagos Swimming team, Benson Phillips, disclosed that lack of care and training forced him to represent Bayelsa State at the just concluded National Sports Festival in Edo, where he won a Silver medal in the 4x200m freestyle.
Phillips, who is also the leader of the Ikorodu Swimming Club which formed the bulk of the Lagos Swimming team, did not only represent Bayelsa State, he was also a medalist to prove what he can achieve with his personal efforts.
Benson has been representing the Lagos team since the National Sports Festival that was held in the Garden City, Port Harcourt in 2011. He also represented the State at the Eko 2012 and Abuja 2018.
He spoke with THE IMPACT at Majidun while preparing for the evening training on Friday, April 16, 2021.
THE IMPACT gathered that Team Lagos, which won only one gold in swimming which has over 40 events and medals, went to the Edo Sports Festival with only eight swimmers out of which four are from Ikorodu.
Benson, who said that he did not sign any contract with the Bayelsa team, expressed his disappointment over the way swimming is handled in Lagos, and added that the association has failed to fulfill all its promises to him and other athletes after they returned from Abuja about three years ago.
“I was at the just concluded sports festival and l represented Team Bayelsa”, he confirmed to THE IMPACT.
“There are many challenges that we faced in the Lagos team. All the promises made to us after the Abuja 2018 Sports festival have not been met. In actual fact, our performance in swimming in 2018 is far better than what Team Lagos recorded this year.
“We won many silver and bronze medals but they could not do any better at this year’s sports festival because of lack of preparations”, he said.
“They promised to engage us in adequate training when we came back from Abuja but there has been none since then.
“They did not fulfill their promises at all. They promised us training, feeding and medication and other things.
“Since we came back, they just abandoned us and we have been on our own using this river (Majidun) around us where you (our reporter) have come to watched our training and interviewed us many times as well”.
He said that the Lagos swimming team used to train inside swimming pool at the Teslim Balogun Stadium but that the pool has been out of use for months.
While stating that using the river to train gives him and other swimmers strength and power, Benson said that it also creates disadvantages for them in many aspects.
“We do use the Teslim Balogun swimming pool but for past months, it has not been in good shape and we have been using this river which has its advantages and many disadvantages”, he said.
“Making use of the river does not allow us to dive into the pool and there is no way that we can master turning like we have in a swimming pool. We can only gain power and strength while making use of the river to train.
“The main swimming techniques are learned in the swimming pool”.
He alleged that Chairman and the officials of the Lagos State Swimming Association neglected them and did not bother about how they are training and keeping in shape.
“It is the duty of the board and the association to know about how we are doing and where we are training but they do not care and there is no way that they can get the best out of athletes that they do not care for”, Benson pointed out.
“We told them where we have been training and what we are lacking but they care less about us. Since 2018 that the Chairman had given us his words, he has not come to visit us where we are training despite telling them”, he further alleged.
“We are facing serious health issues in this water that we are using for training. We suffered rashes to our body and the water always smells but we don’t have a choice because we have to be in shape.
“We swallow excreta at times while training in the river because residents around here usually defecate in the river. In fact, their toilets are built on top of the river”, the leader of the Ikorodu Swimming Club told THE IMPACT.
“We are operating within this environment because we don’t have a choice. As athletes, we cannot do without training and keeping in good shape.
“Swimming is not getting the much needed attention in Lagos as we are always left to care for ourselves while other sports are given preference but unknown to the authority, swimming has more events and medals”, he said.
Speaking about his experience with the Bayelsa team, Benson said that athletes are treated better.
Benson, who said that he has been representing Lagos for about 15 years, added that the state athletes can do better at competitions if they are well cared for and supported with adequate training.
“What I saw in Bayelsa was far better than what we have in the Lagos Swimming team. The way the coaches and association deal and talk with the swimmers are impressive ”, he said.
“They treat their athletes very well unlike what obtains in Lagos State. They consider swimmers as children put under their care and that’s why the athletes are given their best to the state.
“I have been representing Lagos for about 15 years because of my loyalty, love and passion that I have for Lagos and l still hope to represent Lagos and win more medals but things have to change regarding the way athletes are being treated and there is no way this can be achieved without training”.
He said that he did not sign any contract with the Bayelsa but only represented the State and thereafter, returned to his state, Lagos.
“I did not sign any contract with Bayelsa State that I represented at the just concluded National Sports Festival. I just told them that I only want to represent them and thereafter, l will go back to my state”.
He also alleged that there is bias in the selection for the swimming team in Lagos State because many swimmers from Ikorodu were dropped for those that they are better than, adding that this has been proved as the only medal (gold) won by the State was won by Olopele Smart who is from Ikorodu.
“The selection for swimming was biased. Those selected outside Ikorodu cannot even compete with many of our athletes that were dropped, and yet, they were picked.
“We want them to give us care, kit for training and medication. We need swimming kits that will help us improve. If they are ready to show us care, we too are ready to give them our best.
“We need equipment and training facilities like kickballs, full board, clippers, paddles, swimming pants and goggles. We also need them to help us demarcate the river”.
He said that part of the agreement that they had with the chairman after returning from Abuja was that athletes will be paid N7000 as camping allowance and alleged that the association also reneged with what athletes that represented Lagos at the just concluded national festival in Edo was paid.
Speaking on the just concluded Edo Sports festival, Benson described it as the worst he has ever participated in.
“Edo Sports festival is the worst I have ever participated in so far. The food was poor and at times, we were offered same meal (like bread and egg) three times daily”, he said.
“When you go to training and return, you would be told that there is no more meal for you. The festival lacked organization”, he said.
