the goan I network
PANAJI
India's premier ‘open water' swimming championship, Swimmathon 2017, will be held at Colva beach on Sunday (December 3). The event is accredited by the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) as the official selection trials for ‘open water' swimming to select India contingent for the FINA World Championships, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games 2018. Winners of the 10 & 5km races in the men's and women's categories, will be selected in the Indian team.
Asian Games 2014 bronze-medallist and Arjuna Awardee, Virdhawal Khade is the brand ambassador of Swimmathon 2017. The event is organised by Square Off Sports under the aegis of SFI, Goa Swimming Association and supported by Goa Tourism.
The concept of Swimmathon, is to popularise ‘open water' swimming as a sport in India as well as to recognise the talent to represent the nation. The challenges encountered during the competition, test the participants for skills as well as stamina with unpredictable natural conditions, being the notable feature of the event.
As such, the prize money has been enhanced with winners of the 10km and 5km races standing to earn Rs 50 thousand and Rs 25 thousand, respectively, apart from the pride of being India representative in the global competitions. Swimmathon will be conducted for above-14 age-group in the 10 and 5km categories. Events in the 2.5 and 1km categories, will be open for all age-groups.
"It is very fortunate that Goa is not only a popular tourism destination for its sandy shores but over the years, it is also gaining popularity as a sports tourism destination," said Ganesh Teli, Asst. Director of Goa Tourism department.
"Square Off Sports, as a brand, is overwhelmed to announce the sixth edition of Swimmathon in association with SFI. We are extremely thankful to Goa Tourism department for extending their overwhelming support over the years," said Ashish Agarwal, MD & Co-Founder, Square Off Sports.
Goa Swimming Association secretary Sayed Abdul Majid is happy that the event is an annual feature in Goa. "It is an honour that Goa has been chosen as the permanent destination for Swimmathon. Over the years, the event has managed to attract the best of Indian swimming talent to the shores of Goa for testing their skills in the open sea," he said.
National Games gold medallist for Goa, Talasha Prabhu was also present at the launch of Swimmathon 2017.
