The Stabilization Committee is set to stage an open qualifying competition to assemble the aquatics team that will compete in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia from 5 to 17 May.
In a statement, Stabilization Committee member Valeriano “Bones” Floro stressed that they will hold the selection process on 18 and 19 February at the New Clark City Aquatics Center in Capas, Tarlac in a bid to form a solid team for the biennial meet.
The World Aquatics tasked the Stabilization Committee to oversee aquatics in the country after it withdrew its recognition of the Philippine Swimming Inc.
The Stabilization Committee is composed of Floro, Philippine Olympic Committee legal head Atty. Wharton Chan and Bases and Conversion Development Authority senior vice president Arrey Perez.
“The Stabilization Committee will supervise and manage the qualifiers or tryouts which are open to all athletes, clubs and stakeholders,” Floro said.
Floro added that they will hold the qualifiers for athletes who want to represent the country in the swimming, diving and water polo events.
Artistic swimming (synchronized) and open water swimming, however, are not part of the program of the biennial meet that the Cambodians will be hosting for the first time.
Floro said the qualifiers will be conducted based on the swimming technical handbook provided by the Cambodia SEA Games Organizing Committee.
In the handbook, a total of 20 events will be contested in swimming, two in water polo (men and women) and the individual 3-meter springboard and platform for men and women in diving.
The swimming events for men and women are freestyle 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1,500; backstroke 50, 100 and 200; breaststroke 50, 100 and 200; butterfly 50, 100 and 200; individual medley 200 and 400; and freestyle Relay 4×100 and 4×200.
There are also freestyle events in the 800 meters for women and 1,500 for men, as well as a 4×100 meters medley relay for men, women and mixed team.
