The Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival by Daman’s ActiveLife will be the place to be in the nation’s capital this weekend, with competition, swimming stars and family activities lined up for a day of watersport fun.
Taking place at the iconic Emirates Palace on Saturday, February 28, the event will see some top swimmers in action, headlined by Chad Le Clos.
Visitors can meet the current FINA Male Swimmer of the Year, who is presently training for the FINA World Championships and the Rio 2016 Olympics.
“I am extremely excited to get to Abu Dhabi for the Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival by Daman’s ActiveLife. It is going to be a great event, and I can’t wait to swim in the Emirates Palace bay, which looks amazing,” said Le Clos.
“With all the race categories on offer, it will attract everyone from mums, dads, and kids to elite swimmers, emphasising that swimming is a sport everyone can enjoy. See you all in the water!”
Also present will be Emirati Guinness World Record holders, the Al Jasmi brothers.
Obaid, Saeed, Bakheet and Faisal hold the Guinness World Record for being the first team of brothers to compete in the 4×100 metre relay at the Swimming World Championship in 2010.
They’ll take to the waters in the capital on Saturday for the Abu Dhabi Mile, which will attract top swimmers from around the region.
The winners of the men’s and women’s Abu Dhabi Mile will earn return tickets to Rome or Milan courtesy of Etihad Airways.
Other competition categories on the day are the Abu Dhabi Half Mile, the junior splash and dash in 100m, 300m and 500m, the adult-child relay in the Ethiad Airways Family Fun Challenge and an adult relay.
Registration is still open until midnight tonight (Thursday).
The entry cost varies depending on the category, but kids swim for free with Abu Dhabi Sports Council providing 600 free places for children to encourage youth participation.
“Abu Dhabi Sports Council is pleased to be offering free places to children to encourage the youth to participate in Abu Dhabi’s biggest mass-participation swimming event,” said Talal Al Hashemi, sport technical affairs division director of Abu Dhabi Sports Council.
“We are delighted to be part of an event which supports an active life across UAE society, in line with our health initiative. With our great ambassadors and all partners involved, we are sure it will be a wonderful event.”
For those that don’t compete, the festival will still have a number of fun activities and entertainment.
You can hop on the super surfing board to test your surfing skills, hit the pro slide wave, scale the inflatable climbing wall and relax in the splash pool area.
DJ Fadi from Radio 2 will emcee the event, guiding and updating activities for visitors throughout the day.
Sven Rohte, chief commercial officer at Daman, said: “This event is all about encouraging a healthier nation, popularising swimming as a great all-round sport and, of course, providing a great experience for all of the family.
“There will be plenty of things to do on the day, whether you are taking part or supporting your friends and family, we encourage you to come down and experience a great day out.”
