SINGAPORE: Singapore will send its largest ever contingent to the World Aquatics Championships it is hosting this year, with a total of 72 athletes across five disciplines, Singapore Aquatics president Kenneth Goh announced on Wednesday (Jul 2).
There will be 30 athletes making their debut, Associate Professor Goh said during a press conference at the World Aquatics Championships Arena venue in Kallang.
“That alone speaks volumes about the depth of talent we have nurtured, and the boldness of our vision for the future,” he said.
He added that this has been made possible by years of investment in development pathways and infrastructure, and a belief in athletes and coaches alike.
At the 2023 edition in Fukuoka, 27 athletes represented Singapore across four disciplines.
The championships feature the six disciplines of swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open water swimming and high diving. This year, Singapore will not be competing in high diving.
The competition, to be held from Jul 11 to Aug 3, is a key highlight on the SG60 calendar as Singapore marks six decades of independence this year.
“We have established ourselves as a powerhouse in aquatics in the region, consistently competing against the best in Asia. But to become the best in the world, we must challenge ourselves against the very best, and we will not shy away from that,” said Assoc Prof Goh.
HOMEGROUND ADVANTAGE
Athletes said they were looking forward to competing in front of the home crowd.
Swimmer Gan Ching Hwee, 21, who set two national records at the Paris Olympics in the 800m freestyle and 1500m freestyle, said “the homeground advantage is really something that I look forward to”.
She hopes that the upcoming championships can inspire future generations of aspiring athletes to believe in themselves and one day step up and represent Singapore as well, especially with the SEA Games returning to Singapore in 2029.
“On top of that, I think we have the advantage of being familiar with the environment, like the heat and humidity,” added Gan.
Fellow swimmer Mikkel Lee, 22, said that the sight of familiar faces in the crowd makes a big difference for him when competing.
He recalled the solitude of participating in a competition in the German capital of Berlin. “I was on my own, essentially. I didn’t have anybody. I was kind of losing my head a little bit,” he said.
Lee added that with the competition held in Singapore this time, it is also a different experience for him, as it is his turn to play host to his foreign counterparts.
“What’s different is that usually I’m asking people that are hosting: ‘What’s good in your country? Where should I go?’ And now people are asking me that question,” he said.
For Lee Kai Yang, 30, captain of the men’s water polo team, the support from a home crowd is something that is unmatched, as he recalled the feeling making his debut in Singapore during the 2015 SEA Games.
“Ever since then, every other major games that I’ve been to, the feeling from the crowd is never the same. And I do look forward to that again in this world championships here in Singapore,” he said.
On Wednesday, the Singapore team’s official attire sponsor TYR also unveiled the team’s competition attire for the championships.
