Abu Dhabi: Etihad Arena, the UAE’s largest multi-purpose indoor entertainment venue at Yas Island, will be hosting 15th edition of Fina World Swimming Championships (25m) from December 16-21.
The official brand logo for the Championships, which celebrates Abu Dhabi’s pearl diving heritage, was also revealed to mark the announcement of the event.
The event, comprising of 44 events, will showcase the very best in aquatic talent, providing both local and international fans with the opportunity to watch top quality competitive swimming action. Originally scheduled for 2020, the championships will feature men’s and women’s events in all four strokes - freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly - along with the individual medley and relays.
Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of organisers Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “We are absolutely delighted to bring the Fina World Swimming Championships (25m) to Abu Dhabi later this year.
This is set to be a huge event for Yas Island, Abu Dhabi and the UAE, with over 1,000 of the most talented short-course swimmers from around the world, fresh from the Olympic Games in Tokyo, showcasing their abilities in what we expect to be an exciting competition
“This is set to be a huge event for Yas Island, Abu Dhabi and the UAE, with over 1,000 of the most talented short-course swimmers from around the world, fresh from the Olympic Games in Tokyo, showcasing their abilities in what we expect to be an exciting competition.
“Abu Dhabi has also worked relentlessly to bring life to normalcy from the prevailing pandemic through large vaccination campaigns exceeding nine million doses to combat the re-emerging new waves of the Covid-19 cases.
“The Fina World Swimming Championships (25m) is the latest addition to an ever-growing list of major sporting events to be hosted in Abu Dhabi recently, including UFC, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the UAE Tour and the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
“Having previously staged events such as the Fina High Diving World Cup and FINA Open Water Swim World Cup in Abu Dhabi, we know there is a huge appetite for top-quality sporting action among the local community. We are extremely proud to give Abu Dhabi and the UAE another major event to look forward to at the end of a big year for sport.”
Sultan Al Samahi, President of UAE Swimming Federation added, “Hosting events such as the Fina World Swimming Championships (25m) plays a pivotal role in the progression and development of swimming across the UAE. We look forward to working with Fina and the LOC to ensure that this event creates a positive impact on our local athletes over the coming months, and hope that the whole country is ready to cheer on the Emirati athletes who will line up against the world’s best in December.”
To coincide with the announcement of the event, the official Fina World Swimming Championships (25m) brand logo, which symbolizes the past and present, has today been revealed.
Inspired by Abu Dhabi’s pearl diving heritage, the logo features a swimmer constructed from pearls who is powering through the water, which is representative of both the city’s proud history and the competitive nature of the tournament itself.
Qualifying events for the Fina event will take place in Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania over the coming months, giving shortcourse swimmers around the world a chance to secure their spot at the Abu Dhabi competition.
