The 2026 edition of the Zenith Bank Inter-School Swimming Gala concluded on Saturday with impressive performances from young swimmers across Lagos, as over 200 participants representing various primary and secondary schools competed at the Swimming Section of Ikoyi Club 1938. The youth development event, now in its ninth edition, once again provided a platform for emerging swimming talents to showcase their abilities, passion and competitive spirit. The competition featured an exciting display of skill, determination and sportsmanship from the next generation of swimmers. At the end of the competition, St. Saviour’s School emerged overall champions in the primary school category, while Grange School topped the secondary school category. St. Saviour’s amassed 260.5 points to finish first in the primary school category. Grange School placed second with 173.5 points, while Riverbank School came third with 145.5 points. Children International School and Corona Schools completed the top five with 126 and 119.5 points respectively. In the secondary school category, Grange School dominated with 271.5 points, followed by Children International School with 171 points, while British International School finished third with 133.5 points. Greensprings School and James Hope College placed fourth and fifth respectively with 116 and 81 points. Speaking after the event, Vice Chairman and Games Captain of the Swimming Section of Ikoyi Club 1938, Babatunde Pearse, expressed satisfaction with the standard of competition and the increasing participation levels. “The standard has been very encouraging and participation has been fantastic. We had more swimmers than in previous editions, and it is exciting to see the level of improvement in performance and timing. While there is always room for growth, the future of swimming development looks very bright,” Pearse said. He also expressed appreciation to Zenith Bank for its continued support for youth sports development. “We sincerely appreciate Zenith Bank for partnering with us and investing in the growth of young talents through this platform. Their support continues to create opportunities for these children to compete, develop and build confidence through sport. Partnerships like this are essential to nurturing the champions of tomorrow.” Pearse further reiterated the club’s commitment to grassroots development and talent discovery. “We remain committed to creating more opportunities for these young swimmers because today’s participants are tomorrow’s champions. We hope that through initiatives like this, we can continue developing talents and perhaps produce future Olympians.” This year’s competition further reinforced the position of the Zenith Bank Inter-School Swimming Gala as one of the leading platforms for youth swimming development in Nigeria.
