Samarra expands children’s swimming courses to combat seasonal drowning risks

SALAH AL-DIN — In response to a steady rise in seasonal drowning incidents, instructors in Samarra have launched an expanded series of swimming courses for children, aiming to equip young learners with essential water safety skills. The initiative comes amid reports of 8 to 10 drowning cases annually in the city during summer months.

“Learning swimming doesn’t have a fixed timeline,” said coach Ahmed Khaled. “Each individual is different due to genetic factors and body adaptability in water. These greatly influence early stages like floating and fluid movement.”

Khaled stressed the importance of formally integrating swimming into school curricula, arguing that education in water safety and rescue techniques has become vital. “We used to learn swimming directly in the river, but there is a big difference when it is studied as a sport and skill through scientific curricula. Many young people now swim without warming up or using safety equipment,” he said.

Coach Ahmed Hilal explained that age plays a major role in how quickly children adapt to water. “Children aged 8 can learn the basics in 10 to 15 days. Those over 15 may need 15 to 20 days,” he said. “However, producing an Olympic-level swimmer requires around five months of training.”

Hilal also warned against untrained swimmers entering rivers. “We don’t advise beginners to swim in the river directly due to strong currents. It’s better to learn in a pool first.”

He added that this marks the third training cycle organized in Samarra. “We try to open training sessions regularly.”

Twelve-year-old Omran Shakir, a participant in the current course, told 964media he was proud of his progress. “This is my first time attending a swimming course. The trainers are very good. I learned how to jump and float in just two days. I hope to continue because I’ve learned quickly.”