BORACAY — The growing stature of this island paradise as a world-class tourism destination has drawn a strong regional turnout to the 4th Southeast Asian Open Water Championships presented by the Philippine Sports Commission set to kick off Friday at the Boracay Newcoast here.

A total of 113 swimmers from eight of the 11 countries in Southeast Asia are set to take part in the three-day championships, underscoring the growing regional interest in open water swimming while providing a welcome boost to sports tourism in one of the Philippines’ most popular destinations.

“Indonesia had its Bali, Thailand had its Pattaya, and now the Philippines has Boracay to be proud of, so we can anticipate even more swimmers and tourists to watch the open water swimming meet,” said Philippine Aquatics Inc. secretary general Eric Buhain.

The former lawmaker-sportsman also cited the strong backing of the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee headed by PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio for its involvement in the project.

“The 4th SEA Open Water Championships is another prime example where government, private stakeholders and National Sports Associations can pool their resources and efforts together in successfully staging an international sporting event,” Gregorio stressed.

Beyond the sporting competition, the event is expected to showcase Boracay to visiting athletes, officials and spectators, reinforcing the role of international sporting events in promoting tourism and generating economic activity for host communities.

“This sporting event not only advances the growth of open water swimming in Southeast Asia, but also shines a spotlight on Boracay island as a true gem of the region, while reflecting the warmth and hospitality of the Filipino people,”  said PAI president Michael Vargas.

PAI executive director Anthony Reyes said teams from Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam and host Philippines will compete in the championships sanctioned by the Southeast Asian Swimming Federation.

It’s the country’s inaugural hosting of the open water swimming showcase overlooking the beautiful 150-hectare tourism estate being developed by real estate giant Megaworld.

Buhain also recognized the full support of  the 4th Southeast Asian Open Water Championships by the Malay municipal and Aklan provincial governments led by Mayor Frolibar Bautista and Gov. Jose Miraflores, respectively.

“Not only is this competition a boon for open swimming development in the country but a huge boost for local tourism. This is a win-win situation for everybody so we salute the PAI under leadership of president Mico Vargas for hosting the event here,” said Gregorio.

Both Buhain and Reyes emphasized that extra precautions were taken so that the meet will have three days of smooth sailing, with lifeguards, life rafts and medical and other needed personnel addressing the needs of swimmers all throughout strategic locations of the course.

“Even when the swimmers train, we see to it that all of these conditions are in place before they work out in open water, moreso in actual competition,” they said.