(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Fawad Hussain / The Peninsula
As Doha prepares to host another FINA airweave Swimming World Cup showdown which begins today, Qatar Swimming Association (QSA) President, Khaleel Al Jabir has said that holding such major competitions regularly was making a big impact in the promotion of the sport in the region.
Over 150 swimmers from around the world including the World and Olympic champions are taking part in the two-day meet, which is being hosted by Qatar for the sixth consecutive year.
The Gulf nation has become a regular stop for world's top swimmers in the recent years and it will also host the FINA World Championships - the top event in the sport after Olympics - in the year 2023.
'This event is very important for us as this is making big impact in the region specifically Qatar. It gives us a chance to win hosting rights for other major events like the World Championships. We have a good bonding with FINA and the QSA is happy to be organising the FINA World Cup since a long time, said Al Jabir, who was recently elected as one of the FINA Board Directors.
Qatar will field over a dozen of swimmers in the competition and the QSA chief said the Doha World Cup was also a golden chance for them to enhance their skills.
'It's an opportunity for our young swimmers as it will give them valuable experience. Top swimmers like Chad Le Close and Sarah Sjostrom will be battling here and they can learn a lot from them like how they train and perform in the competitions.
'Our swimmers can raise their standards by competing alongside the big names. I hope they will gain a lot from their experience at the top level level, said Al Jabir.
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