Singapore named as host city for the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships, to be held at OCBC Aquatic Centre
Elite event will be hosted in Asia for the first time, as Singapore gets hosting rights together with 2025 World Aquatics Championships
SINGAPORE — Singapore has been unveiled on Monday (5 February) as the host city for the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships. The elite tournament, which is the highest-ranked para-swimming competition outside the Paralympic Games will be held at the Singapore Sports Hub's OCBC Aquatic Centre from 3 to 9 October next year.
This will be the first time the championships is being hosted in Asia, and comes after Singapore also earned the hosting rights for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in September last year. They will be earmarked as two of the key events amid the city-state's 60th birthday celebrations.
"This is a major milestone for our sport and is also evidence of the growth of Para swimming in the country and the region," Craig Nicholson, head of World Para Swimming (WPS), said in a media release on Monday.
"Singapore hosted the Citi Para Swimming World Series for the first time in 2019 and since then we have had the opportunity to see first-hand the great work of the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC), providing opportunities and breaking barriers for persons with disabilities in society."
Strong para-swimming tradition in Singapore
Para-swimming has been a consistent stronghold for Singapore, producing Paralympic medalists and world record holders such as Yip Pin Xiu and Theresa Goh. In addition, Asian medallist Toh Wei Soong, Asian record holder Sophie Soon and numerous ASEAN Para Games medallists have contributed to the nation’s legacy in the sport.
SDSC president Teo-Koh Sock Miang envisions the World Para Swimming Championships creating more awareness and partnerships among Singaporeans to commit to empower individuals of all abilities.
“There remains a large number of Singaporeans with disabilities who can find inspiration, success and achievement in para-swimming and para sports. We would like everyone to be able to gain inspiration and confidence from the exceptional para swimmers that they will witness at this event," she said in the media release.
Waxwork of Yip Pin Xiu at Madame Tussauds
Adding to the celebratory atmosphere, Madame Tussauds Singapore unveiled a life-size waxwork of Yip, Singapore's most decorated Paralympic medalist and para swimmer, making her the first local para athlete to be featured at the attraction.
Starting from Tuesday, visitors can get up close to the “wax twin” at the Sentosa attraction. Visitors with special needs and their caregivers are also welcomed to visit the attraction throughout the year at a concessionary rate.
“I never imagined that we would one day get to showcase para-swimming to this level in Singapore. To know that it would happen at a world-class pool, with the top para swimmers in the world competing right here on our little island, feels truly surreal," Yip said.
"It not only shows that Singapore has taken concrete strides towards promoting inclusivity over the years but has received the confidence to play a leading role in the global landscape."
Lead-up programme, Mediacorp drama series
As part of the lead-up to the World Para Swimming Championships, a new para-swimming learn-to-swim programme, “SwimTogether”, was introduced by SDSC amid Monday's announcement.
Developed by WPS, Singapore would be one of the first countries globally to launch the curriculum, with workshops commencing in May alongside the Citi Para Swimming World Series Singapore. SDSC aims to equip more local swim coaches with the skills and confidence to welcome individuals with disabilities into the world of swimming.
SDSC also announced its involvement in an upcoming Mediacorp Chinese drama "Hope Afloat", which revolves around persons with disabilities. Actress Chantalle Ng is set to take on the protagonist's role as a para swimmer, and the drama series will be seen on mewatch and Channel 8 in July.
Singapore has successfully hosted international para-swimming events in recent years, in particular the Citi Para Swimming World Series in both 2019 and 2023. The biennial World Para Swimming Championships, most recently hosted in 2023 in Manchester, is anticipated to draw approximately 600 elite para-swimmers from over 60 nations to Singapore.
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