KUALA LUMPUR – The inaugural SEA Open Water Swimming Championships 2023 (SEAOWSC), which is set to make its debut tomorrow at Putrajaya Lake, will be an important step for the sport to stamp its mark in the Southeast Asian region.
By playing host, the Malaysia Swimming Federation (MAS) hopes it will serve as the ideal stepping stone to birth talents not only capable of making the country proud on the regional stage but also internationally.
MAS secretary-general Mae Chen believes the current national swimmers can eclipse achievements from the country’s two-time Olympian Heidi Gan and SEA Games gold medallist Kevin Yeap through concerted efforts to expose them to competitive events such as this.
“We hope the championships will pave the way to the development of open water swimming not only in our country, but also in this region. Malaysia’s representation is made up of young talented swimmers, and this is a good sign.
“If we can produce more swimmers like Heidi Gan, then it will be a good start. We are hoping the elite swimmers can attract throngs of Malaysians at the SEAOWSC and serve as an inspiration for more people to take up this sport,” she said.
Heidi had been Malaysia’s standout open swimmer, after becoming the first competitor from the Southeast Asian region to feature at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics.
Hosted and organised by MAS, the SEAOWSC is the first official open water championships in this region since the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, which only featured the men’s category.
Apart from Malaysia, it will also see representation from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
There will be six categories contested, including the 5km and 10km for the men and women, as well as the team relay 4x1.5km.
The competition results will be divided into four different age-group categories which are 14-15, 16-17, 18-19, and 20 years and above.
Fifteen-year-old Aslan Adnan and 18-year-old Chelsea Lee are the two national young swimmers entrusted by MAS for a podium finish in their respective categories.
The SEAOWSC commences tomorrow with the 5km, followed by the 10km on Friday, and the team relay event the following day. – The Vibes, February 1, 2023
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