9.33 PM Thursday, 28 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:57 06:11 12:27 15:53 18:37 19:51
28 March 2024

Dubai welcomes world's top swimmers again

All eyes will be on UAE swimming star Obaid Al Jasmi (left) at the FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup. (PATRICK CASTILLO)

Published
By Allaam Ousman

Dubai will see some of the world’s best swimmers in less than a year in the first leg of the FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup at the Hamdan bin Mohammed Complex on Friday and Saturday.

Having successfully hosted the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in December last year, international swimming returns to Dubai with 220 athletes vying for prize money totaling over $100,000 in the seven-leg series.

“It is with great pleasure that we once again welcome the world to Dubai and this fantastic facility - the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Sports Complex,” said Ali Al Muttawa, Director of Corporate Resources, Dubai Sports Council, at a pre-event press conference on Wednesday.

“We held the wonderfully successful FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) here last year and I have no doubt that with the support of High Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, this event will once again be a resounding success,” he added also thanking all the sponsors for making it possible.

Muttawa said the Dubai Sports Council signed a three-year contract with FINA for organising this event.

“Next year FINA has said we will be given the event somewhere in the middle while in 2013 we hope to get the final leg of the series,” he said.

“We welcome everyone and we promise that the organising committee will spare no efforts to do our best to make the event a success,” said Saeed Al Hamoor, general secretary of the UAE Swimming Federation. He thanked FINA for their trust and also for their support to this event.

“The competition is a joint effort of the Dubai Sports Council and the UAE Swimming Federation. This event is being organised to increase the awareness of swimming among the community and also with an aim to benefit the UAE swimmers,” Hamoor explained.

Obaid Al Jasmi and Mubarak Al Besher will spearhead UAE’s challenge at the event with Hamoor assuring that UAE will be represented in all seven legs of the FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup.

The second leg of the series will be held in Stockholm (October 15-16) followed by competitions in Moscow (October 18-19), Berlin (October 22-23), Singapore (November 4-5), Beijing (November 8-9) and Tokyo (November 12-13).

“The crowd can expect tougher competition, the involvement of some top swimming celebrities and in the long term, the creation of a brighter future for the sport of swimming in the UAE in general,” said Al Jasmi. 

“We will take this opportunity to take part in this high-class event to gain valuable international experience,” said Jasmi hoping that they will get good crowd support.

Asked what were the realistic ambitions of UAE in this series, UAE coach Jay Benner said their main focus was preparation for the Pan-Arab Games to be held in Doha in December.

“This opportunity gives our swimmers the chance to see what’s involved in watching how world class swimmers warm up, how they prepare, and how they get ready for the competition. It can certainly benefit all of the swimmers that are here, even the ones who are not competing. You need something to inspire them to grow and compete at a world-class level. This is the goal and hosting competitions like this gives us that opportunity,” said Benner.

Several top-class international swimmers including numerous world record-holders will be in action this weekend. The line-up includes several gold medallists from last year’s FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Dubai such as Russia’s Evgeny Korotyshkin (100m butterfly), South Africa’s Chad le Clos (200m butterfly) and Ranomi Kromowidjojo from the Netherlands (50m and 100m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle relay).

“The World Championship in Dubai in 2010 was a great event for me. I got the gold medal in the 100 ‘fly and it was my best performance of the year,” said Korotyshkin.

“This World Cup is going to be very exciting for both swimmers and for the public because many famous athletes from around the world will come to compete again in Dubai,” he added.

Le Clos said: “Dubai is my lucky hunting ground and almost feels like my second home because of last year’s victory here.

“I really enjoy competing here and I also have family and friends here who make the stay special. Generally, what I enjoy is the great hospitality and I love the growth of the city,” he added.

“I’m really looking forward to swimming in Dubai, especially to see and feel how far I am at this moment. I really like Dubai, always nice warm weather and super accommodation here. And obviously I have great memories of my swimming races last year,” said Kromowidjojo.

President of the UAE Swimming Federation, Ahmed Al Falasi said: “Hosting these major international events is an important part of the growth of swimming, not only in Dubai and the UAE but the whole region.

“It is a great thrill to have such top-class international swimmers back in Dubai and we wish them everything of the best as they strive to achieve success.”

Khalid Bel Jaflah, Emirates Vice-President Commercial UAE Sales said: “Emirates is proud to be a part of the FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup. We have always actively supported and promoted sporting events in the UAE, working closely with the Dubai Sports Council to bring these world-class events to our shores. We wish the contestants taking part every success in their goal to take first place in this exciting event.”

Racing will begin at 9am on Friday with heats in the morning and the Opening Ceremony in the evening starting at 5.25pm with the first finals contested at 5.40pm. Heats will also begin at 9am on Saturday, October 8 with the first final starting at 5.40pm. Tickets to the event will be available at the door, at the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Sports Complex, which is located on the Dubai Bypass Road (E611).

The meet consists of 34 races with the top three finishers getting total prize money of $3,000.

A payment of $10,000 is made for each new world record set at an event but limited to a maximum pot of $50,000.

The overall series winners (men and women) will get $100,000, second ($50,000) and third ($30,000). Sweden’s Therese Alshammar and Brazil’s Thiago Pereira were the overall champions last year.

UAE's coach urged swimming fans to turn up in their numbers to see the world's best swimmers in action.

He said: “Any time you have the chance to come and see world class swimmers, you should do it. Many of these swimmers will be competing at the Olympics in London next year, which makes this event that much more spectacular.

“This provides great opportunities for people to come and watch great athletes and have an appreciation for how incredible these swimmers are. This will allow the children in this region to become more involved in the sport. To see what these swimmers are doing will hopefully inspire some younger swimmers. Hopefully out there, we have the next great Emirati swimmer.”