Grange School surged ahead in the opening leg of Season 7 of the Dolphin Swimming League, held over the weekend in Lagos, amassing an impressive 355 points to top the leaderboard.

In the secondary division of Nigeria’s premier inter-school swimming championship, Children International School (CIS) followed closely with 254.5 points, while British International School (BIS) secured third place with 163 points.

A total of 19 schools and clubs participated in the first leg of the secondary category, hosted by Grange School. The race for the top spot continues on November 1, when CIS will host the elementary division of the competition.

Speaking on the league’s impact, Technical Director of the Nigeria Aquatic Federation, Samuel Jesimiel, praised the Dolphin Swimming League for nurturing top-tier talent. “At the last two editions of the National Youth Games, we witnessed incredible performances, many of the standout swimmers came from this league. I’m grateful to see the seventh season completed successfully,” he said.

Jesimiel also highlighted the league’s growth: “We started with just seven schools, and now participation has doubled. That’s why we’ve split the league into elementary and secondary divisions. The entries are high, but we’re equipped to manage it, and I commend the organizers for their role in developing this sport.”

Former President of the Nigeria Aquatic Federation, Babatunde Fatayi-Williams, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the league’s transformative role in junior swimming. “The Dolphin Swimming League is an outstanding initiative, which is why I’ve supported it from the start. The results speak volumes, Lagos State claimed 19 out of 25 gold medals at the last National Youth Games. To sustain this success, we need more corporate backing,” he said.

Fatayi-Williams also advocated for expansion: “This league could be replicated in other cities like Abuja and Port Harcourt to raise the standard of junior swimming nationwide. Swimming is a sport that must be nurtured early, catching them young in primary and secondary schools is the key.”