Unique experience in store for swimmers at Asean Festival Open Water event

PUTRAJAYA: The tranquil waters of Putrajaya Lake will host the highly anticipated inaugural Asean Festival Open Water Swimming Championships this Sunday, promising participants a unique and exhilarating experience.

Sanctioned by Kuala Lumpur Aquatics with the support of the Youth and Sports Ministry, this prestigious inaugural event will take place at the Putrajaya Water Sports Complex.

Swimmers from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Taiwan and Thailand have registered to compete in the event’s three distances: men’s and women’s 5 kilometres, 1.5 kilometres and 400 metres.

One of the top draws in the competition is Chelsea Ning Lee, the country’s full-fledged open water swimmer.

Chelsea made history in June last year by becoming the first Malaysian woman to complete the 33km ultra-marathon swim in France.

She finished sixth overall with an impressive time of seven hours, 26 minutes, and 48 seconds at Le Flow Des Gabarriers.

Chelsea continued her progress by winning the girls’ Under 16-19 event of the 3.8km Middle Island Challenge, clocking 56 minutes and 12 seconds recently.

She was placed third overall in the women’s open category.

The 19-year-old is definitely a top talent in the sport and aspires to represent Malaysia at the Olympics one day.

Her presence will definitely inspire and motivate open water athletes, especially the up-and-coming ones, to excel in this sport.

Organisers Hammersmith (M) Sdn Bhd chairman Barry Lee said they are thrilled to bring the Asean Festival Open Water Swimming Championships to Putrajaya for the first time.

“As for the partnership with the Youth and Sports Ministry, we hope to produce more competitive open water swimmers and ultimately build a bigger pool of athletes.

“As for safety measures, we take this very seriously. We have implemented the highest safety standards for an open swimming event to ensure a safe and enjoyable affair.”

KL Aquatics honorary secretary Mae Chen said: “The inception of the Asean Festival Open Water Swimming Championships will bring much-needed exposure to open water swimming in the country, considering it being an Olympic event besides unearthing new talent.

“We want the championships to be an avenue for swimmers to test their mettle in a competitive, yet friendly environment.

“Open water swimming in Malaysia has increased in popularity following Heidi Gan’s gold-medal efforts in the women’s 5km and 10km events at the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia.”