Oceanman Maldives has set the record for an international sporting event held in Maldives with the highest number of athletes.
532 swimmers from 40 countries registered for the event, with the tournament being organized by private Maldivian club Swim Maldives. The honor of the record being set was assured by the statistics from "Visit Maldives".
The event officially started yesterday at K. Maafushi, with two special medals being presented when the record was set by Oceanman Maldives.
The medal was given by Visit Maldives and was presented to Oceanman Maldives by the Minister of Sports Abdulla Rafiu.
While Minister Rafiu was being interviewed by Mihaaru News after the inauguration ceremony of the event, he stated that the participation of more than 500 swimmers from 40 countries in this tournament is evidence that the Maldives is progressing on the sporting map.
"This is not just a sporting activity. This is a good opportunity to showcase the natural beauty of the Maldives, especially our clear seas and the charm of our islands, to the whole world," the Minister said.
While speaking during the inauguration ceremony, Minister Rafiu said that promoting sports tourism as a part of growing sports is a policy of the government. He also said that this intention will be realized during the Oceanman Maldives event.
"I would like to thank Oceanman Maldives for being a part of our dream and for being a part of such an important and historic event in Maldives. This is the first time such a large swimming competition within a world-renowned open water category is being held in Maldives," said Minister Rafiu in English.
72.37 percent of the swimmers in the tournament are foreign swimmers, totaling 385 contestants. The rest of the 147 swimmers are Maldivian.
Aside from Maldives, the highest number of swimmers are from India, with 54 swimmers, with 50 swimmers from China.
The races in the event began yesterday morning and will continue until Saturday.
The sponsors of this activity are MIB and Solid Pro Solutions. The hydration partner is BonAqua. The risk partner is Allied Insurance. The official hotel partners are Arena Hotel and Kaani Hotel. The transport partner is iCom Tours Maafushi. And the digital partner is Dhiraagu. The media partner is Mihaaru.
