The Tunisian Swimming Federation (FTN) issued an explanatory statement in response to what it describes as erroneous information circulating on social media, following the protests by the Club Africain’s swimming section and its threat to withdraw from the national winter championship. The federation body notably called not to instrumentalize this matter to exert pressure on it.
In its statement, the Federation said it was surprised by the protests from Club Africain, since the latter had previously approved the terms of reference as well as the technical criteria governing the distribution of training slots in the pools made available to the various clubs and associations affiliated with the Federation.
The FTN also specified that Club Africain had not been deprived of its training slots at the El Menzah pool. It indicated that the club benefited from time slots at the pools in Ezzahra and at the Radès Olympic Complex (50 meters), as well as at the Khereddine municipal pool (25 meters), in accordance with the results achieved by its swimming section during the 2025-2026 winter sports season.
In that regard, the Federation recalled that the allocation of training slots rests on well-defined technical and sporting criteria, essentially based on the clubs’ results during the previous season.
According to the standings of the Winter Championship 2025-2026, Club Africain achieved the following results:
- Poussins (the youngest category): 5th place.
- Benjamins (the next age group): 5th place.
- Minimes (the intermediate): 3rd place.
- Cadets (cadets): 5th place.
- Juniors/Seniors: 3rd place.
- Overall ranking across all categories: 3rd place.
The Federation also rejected any interpretation of these standings as a form of targeting an association, stressing that the seniority and prestige of a club cannot confer privileges to it at the expense of other associations. It also insisted that the swimmers’ interests should in no way become a means of pressure or negotiation.
In conclusion, the Tunisian Swimming Federation reaffirmed its commitment to applying the terms of reference and respecting the technical criteria and sporting results in the allocation of training slots, free from any pressure or media campaign, while ensuring equal opportunities among all associations, without exception.
