Dubai, UAE – April 18, 2025 – The stage is set at the iconic Hamdan Sports Complex as the swimming competitions of the Dubai International Aquatics Championships officially kick off today, Friday, April 18, 2025. The prestigious event, sanctioned by World Aquatics, serves as a qualifying tournament for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships to be held in Singapore from July 11 to August 3.

The tournament has attracted 1,500 swimmers representing 90 clubs and academies from 40 countries across all continents, including renowned Olympic stars such as Ilya Shymanovich and Velimir Stjepanović. Organized in collaboration between the UAE Swimming Federation and the Dubai Sports Council, the three-day competition promises world-class action and intense rivalries across various swimming disciplines.

The swimming contests span multiple categories — junior, open, and masters divisions — for participants aged 9 to 60 years, featuring races in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly over distances ranging from 50m to 1500m.

Owing to overwhelming international demand, the organizing committee closed registrations early, after reaching full capacity well ahead of schedule. This strong response highlights the tournament’s growing global reputation and the increasing enthusiasm of the global swimming community to compete in Dubai.

Participants hail from a diverse lineup of countries including the United Kingdom, Russia, Kazakhstan, Hungary, India, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar, Albania, Azerbaijan, the Philippines, Romania, Poland, Mongolia, and the Netherlands.

The swimming championship is part of the broader Dubai International Aquatics Championships, which features five aquatic disciplines: diving, water polo, open water swimming, artistic swimming, and competitive swimming. The overall event has drawn more than 2,200 athletes from across the globe, further solidifying Dubai’s standing as a world-class destination for international sports.

More than just a sporting event, the championship plays a key role in identifying and nurturing talent, fostering technical excellence, and providing Emirati swimmers the invaluable opportunity to compete alongside top-tier global athletes from various swimming schools and styles.

This year’s edition holds added significance following its official recognition as a qualifying event for the World Aquatics Championships, boosting its prestige and competitive weight. The growing global trust in the Dubai championship underlines the city’s transformation into a thriving hub for water sports development and its reputation as a leading venue for high-caliber international events.

Held at the Hamdan Sports Complex, which hosts 58 annual local and international events spanning 28 Olympic and non-Olympic sports, the tournament is yet another milestone in Dubai’s ongoing journey toward becoming the capital of global sports — a vision that is being realized with each successful championship.