PUERTO Princesa City, the Eco-Tourism Center of the Philippines, celebrates the merry month of May with the staging of two major international water sports events on May 28 to 30.
Dubbed as “Pilipinas International Beach Sports Festival”, the three-day summer spectacle will feature the 2nd Pilipinas Open Water Swim and the 4th Pilipinas International Beach Water Polo at the Baywalk in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
No less than Puerto Princesa City Mayor Luis M. Marcaida III is supporting the hosting of the event, which will bring together world-class participants from the United States, Canada, Russia, Uzbekistan, Malaysia,
Hong Kong, China, Singapore and the Philippines.
“The whole Puerto Princesa City is ready to host these two major international water sports competitions,” sad Mayor Marcaida.
“We are really honored to play host to both foreign and local guests and thrilled by the opportunity to showcase this beautiful island paradise of Palawan as well as its friendly and hospitable people,” added Mayor Marcaida.
Dale P. Evangelista, the only certified open water official in the country, will supervise the competitions supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.
The Beach Water Polo event is now on its fourth series.
For this year, it will be a three-day competition with 10 men’s teams and three women’s teams competing for the trophy.
In the men’s category, there are four international teams and six local teams.
The international teams are composed of players from USA, Canada, Russia, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and Singapore.
The women’s category, on the other hand, has two international teams coming from Uzbekistan and Hong Kong, and one local team.
The first game of the beach water polo event will start at 9 a.m. on May 28.
The Open Water Swim event was first held at the Anvaya Beach and Nature Club last year.
This year, it will now have a marathon swim event, which is the 10-km swim. It will be conducted under FINA rules, the international governing body for aquatics.
The Open Water Swim event will also pave the way in discovering possible members of the National Open Water Swim Team.
Participants of the event are from all around the Philippines.
Categories are 500m for boys and girls ages 10 and under, 500m for boys and girls ages 11 to 13 years old, 2.5km for boys and girls ages 14-17 years old, 5km for men and women open to all ages and 10km for men and women open to all ages.
The first gun start of the competition will be at 7:30 a.m.