358 Open swimming slated at Hamilo Coast in Batangas

MANILA, Philippines - The “358” Open swimmning championships will be held on Saturday off the Hamilo Coast in Nasugbu, Batangas as part of the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association’s bid to promote the fledgling sport among Filipino swimming enthusiasts.

“With open swimming now part of the Olympic calendar, this is one way for PASA to develop open swimmers who may be able to vie for medals in future Olympic Games,” said organizer and former national swimmer Guy Concepcion in yesterday’s PSA forum at the Shakey’s UN Avenue branch in Manila.

Concepcion, who won a gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley in the 1987 Jakarta Southeast Asian Games, said the competitions will be in the 3K, 5K and 8K men’s and women’s divisions, which is why the swimfest is called “358”.

“We have already around 75 entries for all three divisions, majority of them triathletes, who are using the event as part of their cross training,” said Concepcion in the session supported by Accel, Outlast Battery, Shakey’s and Pagcor.

“However, I do believe that in the future we should have a national pool for Open swimming if we really want to be competitive in the event,” he said.

He noted that unlike in the regular swimming events where height, length and size are at a premium “athletes in Open swimming do not need to be too tall or too big to be competitive.”

Concepcion likewise pointed out that with the country’s vast coastline, Open swimming is an ideal sport for Filipinos.

He said they chose the waters off the coast of Hamilo, a property being developed by the SM Group of companies, as the venue “because the waters there are quite calm, almost like a pool.”

Concepcion said that handsome trophies and medals await the winners of the event.