FINA to Launch a Scholarship Training Program in Phuket

[Jacob Maslow]

Swim Finals - Stock image

As part of FINA’s development program, the organization is launching a new scholarship training program in Phuket, Thailand. The new initiative is being called “Scholarships for Swimmers – Targeting Rio 2016”. The goal is to provide support to Southeast Asian National Federations.

The program will offer two potential elite athletes the opportunity to obtain technical and financial assistance to prepare and, hopefully, qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. The two athletes will be selected by their national bodies.

The new FINA program is a collaboration between the International Olympics Committee, FINA and the Olympic Council of Asia. What the program hopes to do is identify elite athletes, qualify and prepare them for the summer games. The program will offer the best training structures and environment to prepare the athletes for major competitions in coming months.

FINA will assist the athletes by training them in a top-notch training facility in Thanyapura, Phuket. The facility features a 50m Olympic pool and a 25m lap pool. A special teaching pool is also available that includes a video analysis window.

The facility will be supervised by experienced swimming coaches from all over the world.

The Thanyapura facility is the only one that’s FINA-accredited in Asia. A total of 38 swimmers will be selected, and the program will run from May 1, 2015 through May 1, 2016.

-- 2015-04-09