FCT Aquatics boss Nkoye bemoans COVID-19 effects on sports

The Chairperson of FCT Aquatics Association, Engineer Nkoye Duru has lamented the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the calendar and programs of activities of the Association with the directive from the Federal Government suspending all sporting activities still subsisting. 
Mrs Duru speaking to Blueprint sport on phone said the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown has affected the plan of the Association with the laudable programme they have drawn for the year but now truncated due to rampaging pandemic but the moment Covid-19 ended we shall hit the ground running.
“The implication of COViD-19 on Aquatic is enormous. We all know that everything about Aquatics is out-door and it is very difficult to reduce the social distancing with Aquatic because everybody will be in the swimming pool together. It has really impacted much more on us
“We suppose to have Coaches meeting but it was postponed now we are trying to see if we can do it online but a lot of people are not good with that .COVID-19 has really ,really affected Aquatic activities
“Most of our coaches get their means of livelihood on daily basis from the athletes now that we are all lockdown, these are entrepreneur that are not getting salary it therefore means that are not getting anything for a whole month.
“So it has really impacted economically on us , coaches, on the team we are trying to build that has been off swimming for a whole month. Look at somebody who is a competitive swimmer and is off training for a month. It’s just heart rendering”
Duru who is a former Rivers state athlete opines that by the time the lockdown is over probably in May the ripples effects of COVID-19 will impact a lot on sports, only sports that have few people involve can roll immediately maybe golf, but sports like football, aquatics, swimming cannot roll immediately. How do you practice social distancing in the swimming pool ? Sports like wrestling, weightlifting and Gymnastics that used indoor hall-how do you do cope ? She asked rhetorically
She added that the Association had drawn up its programme for year 2020 with plan to have Swim Meet in November and to develop FCT Team into a formidable squad capable of breaking national records but all have been put on hold till the end of the pandemic though she gave assurance that the November Swim Meet will go ahead after coronavirus
Duru however foresees a bright future for FCT Aquatics and Swimming in general for the country.
“Yes, that’s why I’m in the Association. We are gradually changing the narratives. For 10 years, FCT have not won any medals at the national level but all that will change very soon. We are working tirelessly to put FCT in the front and very soon the results will be visible” She concluded.