Abu dhabi: A total of 850 male and female swimmers from more than 90 nationalities gathered in Abu Dhabi today to compete in the first edition of the Talented Swimmers Championship, taking place on 15-16 November at the Mohammed Bin Zayed City Swimming Pool in Abu Dhabi. The event is organised by the UAE Committee for Talent Development and National Sports Support in cooperation with UAE Marine Sports Federation and Abu Dhabi Aquatics Club.

According to Emirates News Agency, the opening ceremony was attended by Sheikh Suhail bin Butti Al Maktoum, Assistant Under-Secretary for Sports Development and Competitiveness at the Ministry of Sports, and Chairman of the Committee, along with top officials from both the Federation and Club. Sheikh Suhail stated that the championship represents a fundamental building block in an integrated national system aimed at discovering and developing talented individuals in various sports.

The committee confirmed that this step marks a first-of-its-kind initiative in local swimming championships and represents the beginning of a systematic approach to talent discovery and development in aquatic sports. This initiative aligns with the Ministry of Sports’ vision to build a sustainable ecosystem for nurturing talented athletes across the Emirates.