Singapore will be the venue for the first ever Southeast Asia Swimming Championships 2012 (SEA Swimming Championships 2012).
The SEA Swimming Championships 2012 will also be the first international aquatics event held in Singapore that includes four of the five aquatic disciplines under Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA).
The Singapore Sports School will host swimming (13th to 17th June) while the Toa Payoh Swimming Complex will see some of the region's brightest stars compete in diving (8th to 10th June), synchronised swimming (14th to 17th June) and water polo (28th May to 1st June).
Chairman of the Organising Committee of the SEA Swimming Championships 2012, President of the Southeast Asia Swimming Federation and also President of the Singapore Swimming Association, Jeffrey Leow, who put together the idea and plan for this competition explained "swimming is a key sport in this part of the world and in fact, one of the most watched events at the Southeast Asian Games.
"However, other than the Southeast Asian Games, there aren't any other opportunities at the same level for the swimmers to compete against one another. We also want to make use of this competition to ensure that the other aquatics disciplines get the attention they deserve as well."
The SEA Swimming Championships 2012 will be hosted every two years with the other Southeast Asian countries taking turns to bid and host the event. The inaugural event in Singapore will also prove to be crucial for the region's swimmers as it will be their last qualifying chance for the Olympics in London this year.
The Singapore Swimming Association is expecting 300 athletes from 10 countries to be in Singapore for the event and so far, countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia have already pledged their interest and commitment to the competition.
Leow added "we are extremely pleased that we have such strong support from our peers in the region. It shows that this event is timely, relevant and much needed to help give the sport the boost it needs. Regular competition at a high level is essential for athletes to improve on their performance and to get to the next level. We hope that this competition will kick start more cooperation and competition opportunities between the Southeast Asian countries."
About the author
Nigel Benton
Co-founder/Publisher, Australasian Leisure Management
Nigel Benton is the co-founder and Publisher of Australasian Leisure Management, Australia and New Zealand’s only magazine for professionals in all areas of the leisure industry. Having established the magazine in 1997, shortly after his relocation to Australia, he has managed its readership rising to over 11,500 and its acceptance as the industry journal for professionals in aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues.
In 2020, he launched the new Asian Leisure Business website.
Among a range of published works and features, his comments on a Blog (blogspot) from 2007 to 2011, when this website went live in its current form, may be interesting to reflect back on.
Click here to connect with him via LinkedIn.
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