Open water swimfest unwraps in Boracay

BORACAY – This idyllic island beach resort will bustle with activity on Friday with the start of the 4th Southeast Asia Open Water Championships presented by the Philippine Sports Commission at the Boracay Newcoast overlooking the crystal clear blue waters of the Sibuyan Sea.

Close to a total 200 swimmers from Southeast Asian neighbors Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and host Philippines will be in one of the country’s tourism crown jewels for three days of intense action in the Olympic discipline that debuted in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

“The open water swimmers began arriving last Wednesday for what promises to be three days of thrilling action in the competition we made extra efforts to prepare for,” noted Philippine Aquatics Inc. secretary general Eric Buhain.

“We aim to put our best food forward for all of our participants, considering that this is our inaugural hosting of the meet and want it to be memorable and unforgettable for all.”

Sanctioned by the Southeast Asian Swimming Federation, the three-day championships will be shielded from the elements inside a protected cove at the 160-hectare tourism and leisure estate developed by Global Estate Resorts.

Buhain added that they left no stone unturned to safeguard and secure the well-being and safety of the swimmers in the open water swimming showcase In cooperation with and supported by the Aklan provincial and Malay municipal governments.

Highly-trained volunteer lifeguards from Philippine Lifesaving, which has a regional center on the island, have also been tapped to supplement the safety measures to be enforced with the assistance of the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine National Police, Buhain said.

He also expressed his gratitude to PSC chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio for backing the swimming association in its choice of the competition, aligning with the government sports agency aggressive thrust in promoting sports tourism.

“Choosing Boracay as the site for this competition was a no-brainer, which is why we are thankful to PSC Chairman Chairman in wholeheartedly supporting our choice,” Buhain said of the PSC chief, who also heads the National Sports Tourism Interagency Committee.

“We congratulate the Philippine Aquatics Inc. in organizing the 4th Southeast Asia Open Water Championships given the present challenging conditions,” Gregorio replied.

“Through this competition, we are creating a new group of sports and tourism goodwill ambassadors who will experience and spread the word of our famed Filipino hospitality worldwide as well as the irresistible charms and appeal of Boracay.”

“We have a world-class open water swimming course to complement the world-class surroundings at the Boracay Newcoast, which will undoubtedly leave an unforgettable impression and fond memories for those involved in the years ahead.”