DUBAI: The UAE will host the 9th Asian Swimming Championships from 15-25 November in Dubai. This will be the first time all four disciplines of swimming (50m pool), synchronized swimming, water polo and diving will be contested in one competition in one venue in the UAE, and organizers are excited at the prospect of staging this world class aquatic spectacular.
This is the third major international event to be held at the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Sports Complex in just over a month, after the exhilarating FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup on 2-3 October, and the 1st International Water Polo and Synchronized Swimming Championships on 11-13 October. "This is also the first time the Asian Swimming Championships have been held in this format of all four disciplines in one event and one venue, and we are delighted that Dubai has been honoured with this responsibility. We look forward to welcoming over 700 athletes from 23 member nations for what will be a truly memorable 11 days," Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council and Chairman of the Organising Committee Dr Ahmad Al Sharif said. "We are delighted that among the entries are Olympians and Olympic champions across the four disciplines, and we are looking forward to a thrilling competition in every sport," he added. Organisers are excited about the quality of competitors expected to enter the event, with the Championships also being a qualifying event for the FINA Swimming World Championships in July 2013. This will encourage all countries to send their best athletes, an exciting prospect with countries such as China, Japan, Hong Kong and Malaysia among the 23 countries entered. The men's water polo competition will include 2012 Olympians Kazakhstan, and the Kuwaiti National Team who performed well against top European clubs at the recent 1st International Water Polo and Synchronized Swimming Competition in Dubai. The synchronized swimming will be particularly exciting with the Olympic bronze medalist China up against fifth-placed Japan and 12th-placed Korea. And in the diving the powerhouse Chinese team will be back to thrill the crowds again, as they did at the FINA Midea Diving World Series held in Dubai in March this year. The strong Malaysian diving team which took a bronze and four other top 10 finishes at the Olympics will push them hard. The swimming competition also promises to be exciting with 21 nations including numerous Olympic medalists competing.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2012.
