SINGAPORE — Singapore will be the first Southeast Asian country to host the premier international aquatics event, the World Aquatics Championships 2025. The World Aquatics Championships will bring together the six aquatic sports of swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open water swimming and high diving. With dates to be defined, the 2025 event will be staged in close cooperation with the Singapore Swimming Association and Sport Singapore, a statutory board under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
The announcement was made by the World Aquatics governing body on Feb 9. World Aquatics was formerly known as the International Swimming Federation or FINA before it was renamed last month. Over 2,500 athletes are expected to participate in the World Aquatics Championships 2025, representing World Aquatics’ 209 national member federations. The 2025 event was originally awarded to the city of Kazan, Russia. But since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, World Aquatics has decided to change its venue and give the hosting rights to Singapore.
The athlete-centric approach taken by World Aquatics, the Singapore Swimming Association and Sport Singapore, saw past, present and future top aquatics athletes join the announcement. Multiple Olympic gold medallist Ian Thorpe expressed his delight at Singapore being confirmed as the venue for the World Aquatic Championships.
“I’ve been coming since I was 14 years old to the Singapore Sports School and spoke to students about the challenges and possibilities of making sport a big part of their lives,” said Australian legend Thorpe.
“So it’s always been clear to me that Singapore is a special place, with a special approach to maximising sport’s potential to change lives for the better. To be here today and see what some of those students have achieved over the last decade is a great honour. I’m thrilled to know that some athletes will now have the chance to pass on what they have learned to a new generation, as part of hosting World Aquatics’ most important event.”
“As you might expect from an island nation, Singapore has a proud tradition of aquatic sports. Our whole community is excited about the opportunities that will come from bringing the world’s best aquatics athletes to Singapore: from the teams that have represented us with honour at the Olympic Games and the World Aquatics Championships to the young people training in our clubs,” said Mark Chay, Singapore Swimming Association President.
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.
Commenting on Singapore being selected as the first Southeast Asian city to host the Championships in 2025, Sport Singapore Chief Executive Officer Lim Teck Yin said, “As a global blue-ribbon event, the World Aquatics Championships 2025 is an exciting boost for Singapore aquatics. It will not only benefit sport in Singapore, but also activate the athletes, fans and the industry in Southeast Asia through engagement opportunities leading up to the event and the championships themselves.”
“We will certainly be looking to the industry for innovative tech solutions for event operations and fan engagement in particular. The support from local stakeholders will also be a key success factor for the event and its legacy. Singapore looks forward to welcoming the world’s best aquatic athletes in 2025 and we will be cheering on Team Singapore as they compete for glory on homeground,” added Lim.