The 2025 World Aquatics Championships, taking place in Singapore, recently kicked off with a grand opening ceremony at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre. The event showcased a series of captivating and inspiring performances.
Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam attended the official opening, together with government ministers and members of the World Aquatics community. A variety of cultural performances highlighting Singapore’s strong bond with water were presented in the ceremony.
A Parade of Flags representing the 206 countries with registered athletes was presented through a video display.
About 2,500 athletes will participate in the competition set to run from July 11 to Aug 3.
Highlights of the event
The evening started with a remarkable performance of the Rainwoven dance by the School of the Arts, Singapore, to celebrate diversity and the strength found in unity. The national anthem of Singapore was then sung by the Victoria Junior College Choir, a group recognised internationally for its numerous awards.
World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam extended a warm welcome to all the participants. “On behalf of World Aquatics, I would like to thank Singapore, the Government, the Organising Committee, the Sports Ministry and Singapore Aquatics for coming up so quickly and hosting the 22nd edition of the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore,” he said.
He added: “It’s a record for our World Aquatics Championships – 206 countries registered to participate here in Singapore and nearly 2,500 athletes.”
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam also welcomed the worldwide aquatics community to the country, noting, “Over the next three weeks, we will witness about 2,500 athletes from around the world compete over 77 medal events. Singapore is also happy to welcome almost 6,000 masters-aged athletes who are here for the World Aquatics Masters Championships. What we celebrate, too, is the quiet but profound way in which sport can bring us together, even when we are rooting for different teams. In a world increasingly divided, sport reminds us that we can strive together, even as we compete; that we can demonstrate our common humanity.”
The president added, “It’s a real honour for Singapore to host the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, and the first time too, that a Southeast Asian nation is hosting the event. And as Captain Husain observed, it’s a special moment for Singapore, because it’s also the year in which we celebrate our 60th anniversary since independence.”
The ceremony concluded with a tribute video followed by a performance of “Singa Roar” by the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS). This percussion piece highlighted the Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Latino drums, celebrating Singapore’s rich cultural diversity and the harmonious collaboration with people from all over the world.
The complete schedule for the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025 is available here.
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