160 Sri Lanka swimmers in action at South Asian Swimming Championships
Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) will host the inaugural South Asian Aquatic Championship (SAAC) from October 18 to 23 in Colombo with the participation of seven (7) South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. SLASU received the nod to host the SAAC 2016 when the heads of the above National Federations met during the 12th South Asian Games 2016 in India.
The SAAC which would follow the “Asian Age Group Aquatic Championship” model is expected to be conducted every 2 years from 2016 onwards to provide experience for the age group athletes from South Asian Countries.
The 2016 edition of the SAAC will feature Swimming, Diving, Waterpolo and Open Water Swimming, which are part of the Olympic programme as well. The Championship will commence with the opening ceremony scheduled on October 18 at the Sugathadasa National Swimming Pool Complex with Dayasiri Jayasekera, Minister of Sports gracing the occasion as the chief guest.
Over 400 top swimmers of all age categories and aquatic sports from the South Asian countries have confirmed their participation including 160 swimmers from Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan team will comprise of approximately 85 swimmers, 25 divers, 30 waterpolo players and 20 open water swimmers. Moreover, the athletes expected to compete in the five-day championship will feature an early look at young athletes who will vie for positions on their respective nations at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games rosters.
The Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union was certain that these young athletes will grab this opportunity to gain international experience and prepare their successful entry in the elite world.
This championship was made possible by the unstinted support given by Dayasiri Jayasekera, Minister of Sports and all officials from the Ministry of Sports. SAAC 2016 was also well supported by the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, the commander and the staff of Sri Lanka Navy.
The main sponsor for the South Asian Aquatic Championship will Anchor Newdale.