Singapore to host World Aquatics Championships in 2025

SINGAPORE: Singapore will host the World Aquatics Championships in 2025, making it the first Southeast Asian country to do so, the World Aquatics governing body announced on Thursday (Feb 9).

World Aquatics was formerly known as the International Swimming Federation or FINA before it was renamed last month.

The World Aquatics Championships is a premier biennial event bringing together the six sports of swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open water swimming and high diving.

Dates are yet to be confirmed, according to a joint press release by World Aquatics, Sport Singapore, the Singapore Swimming Association and Singapore Tourism Board.

More than 2,500 athletes representing 209 countries are expected to participate.

Venues where the competitions will take place include the Singapore Sports Hub, a world-class complex that includes the National Stadium, the Singapore Indoor Stadium and the OCBC Aquatic Centre. The OCBC Aquatic Centre features two 50m pools and a diving facility.

World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam said the hosting of the 2025 event was in "good hands".

“Singapore has everything we hope to share with our athletes: World-class facilities, proven experience of hosting events of the highest quality and a comprehensive approach to aquatic sports that runs from elite level to the community."

Singapore has previously hosted World Cups in five of the six aquatics sports, and was also the venue for the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in 2015.

The local aquatic community looks forward to the opportunities to come from having the world's best gather in Singapore, said Singapore Swimming Association President Mark Chay.

The Singapore Tourism Board’s chief executive Keith Tan said Singapore's