Courtesy: World Aquatics
With the aim of preparing international swimmers from the World Aquatics Scholarship Programme for major global competitions, World Aquatics has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Thailand Aquatics, the Sports Authority of Thailand and Thanyapura Phuket.
The MoU signing not only strengthens the World Aquatics Training Centre partnership in Phuket, Thailand, but also amplifies the global impact of our collective efforts. This partnership ensures that athletes can continue to realise their full potential, significantly impacting aquatics not just in Thailand, but also on a global scale.
Thanyapura | Preparing Athletes for the Global Stage
Since 2018, the Thanyapura Training Centre has been a vital training centre at the hub of the World Aquatics development efforts. The training centre currently oversees the training and preparation of 31 World Aquatics scholarship athletes. This group includes Enkhkhuslen Batbayar, a multiple Mongolian national record holder who made the semifinals in the 100m and 200m freestyle events at the 2023 World University Games in Chengdu, China.
The training centre is also the preparation grounds for Ronan Wantenaar of Namibia. The African Games 100m breaststroke champion nearly broke through on the international stage, just missing the semifinals in the 50m breaststroke at the World Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024 by 5/100ths of a second this past February.
Thanyapura’s swimming facilities include a 50m Olympic competition pool, a 25m training and teaching pool, Omega start blocks, a state-of-the-art electronic timing system and scoreboard, an underwater video analysis window, ozone filtration and sports science services.
About World Aquatics | Scholarship Programme and Training Centres
Athletes selected for the World Aquatics Scholarship programme benefit from a one-year term where they can live and train a World Aquatics Training Centre in an environment that helps up-and-coming aquatics athletes reach their full potential through optimal preparation for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics Games, World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) -Budapest 2024 and the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025.
The programme targets athletes with solid potential in international competitions but with a lack of sufficient training conditions in their home country by offering financial support and expert technical knowledge to those athletes.
World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam expressed his delight in extending the relationship with the World Aquatics Training Centre Thanyapura in Phuket, Thailand.
“Our collaboration with Thailand Aquatics, the Sports Authority of Thailand and Thanyapura Phuket has been a significant stepping stone in athletes’ development since we started our work together in 2015. We have an exceptional team of coaches, talented and aspiring athletes, and world-class facilities,” said the World Aquatics President. “With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on the immediate horizon, knowing that we have the partnerships in place to continue our work in Thanyapura together through to Singapore 2025 and all World Aquatics events as well as LA 2028 and beyond is a true and lasting accomplishment.
“Thanyapura will continue to receive and host some of the most promising swimmers from all around the world and provide them with optimal conditions for training and preparation.”
General Sirichai Distakul, Acting President and Vice President of Thailand Aquatics, also noted the importance of the signing.
“Sport has the power to bring the world together and learn from each other, and nowhere is this more evident than at the World Aquatics Training Centre Thanyapura. Athletes training here get to see what Thailand has to offer as hosts, and these scholarship swimmers also help raise the sport’s profile throughout Thailand and Southeast Asia,” General Sirichai Distakul said. “It is a powerful source of inspiration for Thai athletes who are currently honing their skills to know that many other aspiring athletes choose to live and train in Thanyapura to chase their dreams in the pool.”
Marisa Yenbamroong, Executive Director of the Phuket International Sports Club, noted how the Thanyapura Training Centre has helped transform Phuket province into a world-class destination for elite swimmers.
“Since we attained the prestigious World Aquatics Training Centre standard nine years ago, Phuket region has established itself as a sanctuary for athletes. World champions, Olympic champions and World Record holders from multiple continents have come here for training camps in preparation for global championships, like the recent Doha 2024 Worlds and the upcoming Paris 2024 Games.”
Added Dr. Gongsak Yodmani, Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand:
“With Asia hosting the past two World Aquatics Championships and the upcoming event in Singapore 2025, Thanyapura provides a vital link to promoting sports in Thailand and abroad. The raw talent is here, and I am delighted to strengthen our partnership with World Aquatics. We will continue to provide the right environment to prepare swimmers to compete at the highest level. I look forward to seeing an athlete from the Thanyapura training centre standing on the medal podium at a World Aquatics Championships or Olympics.