A total of 440 swimmers — 180 girls and 260 boys — from 66 swimming clubs have registered to compete in the national tryouts Luzon qualifying for the Southeast Asia Age Group Championship at the Teofilo Ildefonso swimming pool inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex from 7 to 9 July.
According to event organizer coach Chito Rivera, the fifth-place winning time last year’s SEA Age-Group tournament held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia will be used as the qualifying standard time in all events at stake in the tournament.
The 2023 edition of the SEA Age Group Championship will be held from 24 to 26 August in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Rivera insisted that the swimmers who were not lucky enough to make it to the qualifying standard time still have a chance to make up for it in the scheduled National tryouts for Luzon and Visayas that will be held simultaneously on 21 to 23 July in Ilocos Norte and Dumaguete City, respectively, while the Mindanao leg is scheduled for 22 to 23 July.
Philippine Swimming, Inc. secretary general Eric Buhain said they are prioritizing the grassroots sports program not just of swimming but also other disciplines under aquatics.
“We’re not just looking after the welfare of athletes in the regular swimming, but our responsibility also includes athletes in diving, water polo, artistic swimming, as well as open water,” said Buhain, who was elected as secretary general in an election ordered by the World Aquatics.
