Lausanne (SUI), April 9, 2015 - As part of its Development Programme, FINA is pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative called “Scholarships for Swimmers – Targeting Rio 2016”, aimed at providing specific support to the Southeast Asian National Federations. The programme will offer the opportunity to obtain financial and technical assistance for two potential elite athletes selected by their national bodies in order to improve the preparation and eventually obtain the qualification for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (BRA).
This new scholarship is a partnership between FINA, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Solidarity and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The main goal of the programme is to identify, qualify and prepare a limited number of athletes by providing them with the best training environment and structures whilst preparing for major competitions over the next months before the Olympic rendezvous.
FINA will assist the scholarship holders to train in a high-level training centre in Thanyapura, Phuket (THA). The state-of-the-art facilities include an aquatic complex with a 50m Olympic standard pool (3m deep), 25m lap pool and a teaching pool with video analysis window. Moreover, this centre will be supervised by qualified and experienced international swimming coaches. Thanyapura is the FINA accredited training centre in Asia.
The 38 swimmers from the 19 concerned National Federations will start the programme on May 1 of this year, until May 1 2016.
The FINA President Dr. Julio C. Maglione highlighted the importance of this initiative: “It is very important for FINA and for the Olympic movement to raise the quality of our athletes participating in the Games. This programme is a concrete example of this effort and I am sure that it will tremendously held in the development of Aquatics in this part of the world. This centre in Thanyapura is one of the most modern training facilities in this part of the world and we are thrilled to be working with the Thai authorities on this beautiful initiative”, Dr. Maglione considered.
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