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Aquatic Club

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Aquatics have partnered with Hwa Chong International School to launch its first Performance Development Centre. This programme focuses on helping aquatic clubs in their developmental pipeline by gaining better access to facilities on longer-term leases and maximising the use of swimming pools in Singapore.

The partnership between Singapore Aquatics and Hwa Chong International School will allow AquaTech Swimming Club to use the school’s swimming pool facility for two years. AquaTech will pay a monthly rental for using the swimming pool and its facilities and assisting the school with its internal aquatics programme and competitions.

“We hope this collaboration with HCIS will kickstart a new era of excellence for aquatics in Singapore. With the launch of the PDC, we are not only expanding the opportunities for aquatic clubs in both our development pipeline and the larger aquatic community, but also ensuring that our swimming pools, one of our most prized assets, are better utilised,” said Singapore Aquatics secretary-general Professor Kenneth Goh.

Linda Lee, Hwa Chong International School principal, is thrilled to be the first school to collaborate with Singapore Aquatics to develop the Performance Development Centre programme. 

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“We are looking forward to this partnership to better allocate our swimming pool resources to achieve optimal holistic development and outcomes for our students and the aquatics community in Singapore,” commented Hwa Chong International School principal during the launch event.

“This partnership is aligned with our goal of fostering a sporting culture in school and is certainly a testament to the synergy between education and sports. We are excited to collaborate with SAQ to further elevate the standards for aquatics in Singapore. Together, we hope to build a better future for our students and athletes. As we embark on this exciting journey together, we are committed to making a significant impact in both the world of aquatics and education.”

Photo credit: Singapore Aquatics

The partnership was announced on Thursday, Oct 19, during a swimming clinic held at Hwa Chong International School conducted by Asian Games silver medallist and AquaTech swimmer Teong Tzen Wei for his fellow younger clubmates. Also assisting with the clinic were fellow AquaTech and national swimmers Ashley Lim, Zackery Tay and Glen Lim. 

Teong was Singapore’s only medallist at the recent Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. He took second place in the 50m butterfly, with a time of 23.34s, behind South Korean Baek In-Chul (23.29s), while Adilbel Mussin of Kazakhstan came in third (23.44s).

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The Asian Games silver medallist explained that the Performance Development Centre programme will give clubs more certainty over their programmes and give young swimmers more stability. This new initiative is also timely as AquaTech had to vacate its premises at the Toa Payoh Swimming Complex, which will make way for a regional sports centre.

“The PDC programme will give both clubs and athletes greater stability to plan for the longer term. For swimmers, things like having a fixed venue and access to a quality pool means one less thing to worry about logistically and we can concentrate fully on the sporting side of things,” said Singapore’s national swimmer Teong.

Singapore Aquatics shared that the decision to implement the Performance Development Centre resulted from a Portas Consulting survey they commissioned in 2020. It was found that Singapore has about 113 Olympic-size pools, which is relatively higher compared to other countries, but there is restricted access to most of those pools. There is also low utilisation of pools in schools, especially after school hours and during holidays.

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In Singapore, developmental aquatics clubs operate out of a mixture of pools they have leased from the private sector or at public pools run by Sport Singapore. Professor Goh explained that the Performance Development Centre initiative will allow clubs to secure facilities to conduct their aquatics programmes.

“Our intention is not to compete with clubs in tenders for venues. Rather, we are working with facility owners such as schools who may not have thought of renting out their pool, but do not mind doing so in partnership where the value proposition is multi-faceted,” mentioned the Singapore Aquatics secretary-general.

Partnerships under the Performance Development Centre aim to establish a lasting and sustainable ecosystem through extended facility bookings, increase involvement through partnerships with stakeholders, maintain the high quality of aquatic programs, and reinforce coach development. In total, about 40 of Singapore Aquatics’ affiliate clubs could potentially benefit from this new initiative.

/TISG

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