WHY I CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY – ONYEACHOLAM

A member of the board of Nigeria Swimming Federation (NSF), Mr Steve Augustus Onyeacholam, has taken a stock of his journey into the world of sports after his retirement in June immediately after the National Sports Festival in Port Harcourt as the director (technical), Delta State Sports Council, and came out with a verdict that it has been well with him.

In a recently chat, the former national swimmer, who once told Sunday Sunsports that he almost quit the aquatic sports following his inability to meet a set target by his white coach, which cost him and the Nigerian swimming team the outing to the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in the 70s, said he was devastated because the fate of the other members of the swimming team was tied to his performance as the leader of the then squad. So, when he missed the time limit that was set for him, it became a big blow to the entire team.

He explained that it was the lowest moment of his career as a national swimmer, even as he still remembers the omen as if it happed just yesterday.

Meanwhile, Onyeacholam said he's a lucky man, revealing that all the professional training courses he took part in as a swimming coach were on scholarships sponsored by different countries and organisations. 'Looking back to my journey into the world of sports, particularly as a swimming coach, I consider myself a very lucky man,' Onyeacholam began.

'In fact, I have every cause to thank God because I have no regret taking to swimming. 'I have been fortunate, because all the professional coaching courses I have undertaken outside the country were on scholarships given by different countries, except for the one I attended in the United States of America, which was sponsored by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).