Zambia Aquatics Federation calls for increased investments in swimming

The Zambia Aquatics Federation has renewed its appeal to the central government and local authorities to prioritize capital investment in swimming infrastructure, pointing to a severe deficit of public aquatic facilities across the country's ten provinces. Federation President Guy Phiri highlighted that the current landscape of competitive swimming remains largely skewed toward private schools and elite clubs, shutting out talented youths from underprivileged backgrounds who lack access to standard pools. Speaking on the state of aquatic sports development, Phiri stressed that grassroots participation is heavily constrained by infrastructure bottlenecks. While Zambian swimmers continue to make waves at regional and international platforms such as the Africa Aquatics Zone IV Championships, the absence of public municipal and school pools threatens long-term talent pipeline sustainability. Many historical public pools managed by local councils have fallen into disrepair or have been leased out to private entities, leaving communities with virtually zero access to affordable training grounds. Beyond competitive sports, the federation underscored the critical life-saving aspect of swimming education. With recurring reports of drowning incidents in rivers, lakes, and unmonitored water bodies during rainy seasons, basic water safety and swimming proficiency are increasingly viewed as essential public health imperatives. Incorporating swimming modules into the public school curriculum, backed by functional institutional pools, would not only curb preventable water-related tragedies but also democratize a sport historically perceived as exclusive. Stakeholders in the sports fraternity have echoed these sentiments, calling for a multi-sectoral approach involving the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts, and local government councils. Proponents argue that public-private partnerships could offer a viable roadmap to rehabilitate derelict municipal po