LABUAN: A record-breaking 200 young swimmers from all 27 primary schools and preschools in Labuan are took in the Labuan Blue Dolphin Swimming Club’s Super Novice 2 competition on Saturday, making it the largest Under-12 swimming event ever held in the Federal Territory.
Held at the Labuan Golf Club Swimming Pool, the competition reflects the overwhelming response and growing interest in swimming among children in Labuan while serving as a platform to scout and nurture future swimming talents.
The one-day competition, endorsed by the Labuan Education Department, featured swimmers aged 12 and below competing in 172 events across the Under-7, Under-8, Under-9, Under-10, Under-11 and Under-12 categories.
The events included 25-metre freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly, backstroke, kicking and underwater diving, with participation also extended to para swimmers.
The competition also saw the participation of eight swimming athletes from the Labuan Blue Dolphin Swimming Club who represented Labuan at the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) Swimming Championships, providing young participants with the opportunity to compete alongside accomplished swimmers and be inspired to pursue competitive swimming.
Labuan Blue Dolphin Swimming Club said the competition was aimed to provide novice swimmers with valuable competitive exposure while identifying and nurturing potential talents capable of representing Labuan at state and national levels in the future.
To ensure fair competition, swimmers who had previously finished among the top three in individual events at the Federal Territory of Labuan Schools Sports Council (MSSWPL) or All Stars competitions were not eligible to compete in those respective events.
All participants received certificates of participation, swim caps and recycled bags, while medals were awarded to the top three finishers in each event. Forty lucky draw prizes were also offered.
The competition was being held free of charge as part of the club’s commitment to ensuring equal access to sports opportunities regardless of participants’ financial background.
It has also been recognised under the Pentaksiran Aktiviti Jasmani, Sukan dan Kokurikulum (PAJSK) framework, enabling participating students to gain co-curricular merit points.
Senior Assistant Director of the Student Development Sector at the Labuan Education Department, Mohd Fadzli Sheikh Abdul Rahim officiated the competition.
The events included 25-metre freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly, backstroke, kicking and underwater diving, with participation also extended to para swimmers.
