124 Countdown to the Asian Age Group Championships days

It's 124 days to go before New Clark City Aquatics Center officially hosts the 11th Asian Age Group Championships.

By Mary Grace C. Padin

From December 3 to 14 this year, swimmers from all over Asia will compete to be named the best in the region, and qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics. This edition of the Asian swimming tilt is expected to be the biggest so far, with 1,400 swimmers from over 40 countries.

To signal the start of the preparations for such a wide-scale event, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), together with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the organizing committee, last June unveiled the official logo of the event.

The 11 th Asian Age Group Championships will include four aquatic disciplines, namely swimming, diving, water polo, and artistic swimming.

It will put New Clark City back in the international spotlight as this would also be the first major international event to be held at the Aquatics Center since the hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019.

BCDA Senior Vice President for Corporate Services

Arrey Perez said the Asian championships will give the Philippines a chance to showcase the New Clark City sports complex, with an estimated 5,000 foreign visitors and 35,000 local tourists during the competition week.

He said it would also help the BCDA promote New Clark City’s sports facilities to the 45 members of the Asia Swimming Federation (AASF).

“They (AASF) would like to keep on promoting New Clark City because it’s one of the best facilities in the world, among those that they’ve seen. They are really keen on promoting because they want to have more competitions in Southeast Asia. There aren’t a lot of competitions here,” SVP Perez said.

According to the BCDA official, the Asian Age Group Championships could also serve as a trial to New Clark City's capability to host the World Aquatics Championships.

SVP Perez highlighted New Clark City’s readiness to host international events, with its well-maintained facilities and experiences gained from the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and the multiple local tournaments it hosted in the past year.

FROM THE LOGO'S DESIGNER:

The official logo of the 11th Asian Age Group Championships is inspired by the silhouette of the New Clark City Aquatics Center and a swimmer in position at the starting block of the pool.

The architectural design of the New Clark City Aquatics Center, as portrayed on its majestic geometric structural columns and roof, is inspired by the baklad, a local bamboo fish trap used by fisherfolks. This signifies the unparalleled hardwork and resiliency of the Filipino fisher.