The nation of Seychelles will be come the first African country to host an elite junior swimming competition when it becomes the site of the 2020 World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships. The event is held every 2 years and includes young athletes between the ages of 14 and 19, with the last edition in 2018 hosted by the city of Eilat, Israel.
David Vidot, Chairperson of the Seychelles Swimming Association said this week that his nation’s selection, “is another historical moment for Seychelles as we are pioneering open water not only in Seychelles but also in the African continent.” (Seychelles News Agency)
Seychelles is located in the Indian Ocean, north of Madagascar, and has the smallest population of any sovereign African country with 94,228 residents spread across 115 islands. The nation has hosted elite international senior open water events before, including the 3rd stop of last year’s FINA Marathon Swim Series in May of 2018. Seychelles is also hosting a stop during this year’s same series.
Although the 2020 FINA Open Water schedule is not yet published, Vidot is hopeful the nation can make the most of its annual hosting duties.
“At the moment, we are hoping to host it back to back with the world cup series as both events will be hosted at Beau Vallon. This will allow us to make the most out of our resources,” said Vidot. (Seychelles News Agency)
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Watch out for Somali pirates straying off the horn of Africa
I’m flying there in three weeks! 😀
Great to see such big events expand and get an exposure at different countries.