Singapore counts down to hosting of Southeast Asia’s first World Aquatics Championships

Singapore is preparing to make history as it hosts the 22nd edition of the World Aquatics Championships from 11th July to 3rd August 2025 - marking the first time the prestigious event will be held in Southeast Asia.

Over 2,500 athletes from 210 national bodies federated with World Aquatics are expected to compete in 77 medal events across six aquatic disciplines.

Following the return of the Swimming World Cup to Singapore in November 2024, preparations and with less than seven weeks to go until the event, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) is finalising logistics and infrastructure while actively building local excitement for the upcoming global showcase.

Partners
In late 2024, the LOC unveiled a strong line up of national partners who have collectively pledged approximately SG$5 million (US$3.8 million) in sponsorship with the Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Trans-Eurokars Mazda and OCBC Bank have signed on as the official hotel, automobile and banking partners.

They are joined by travel platform Trip. com and sustainability firm MVGX, the latter supporting the event’s environmental initiatives. Another eight partners - ION Orchard, CapitaLand, Singapore Airlines, Fullerton Health, Jewel Changi Airport, Kin Productions, SISTIC and Westpoint Transit - were recently unveiled, taking the total value of sponsorships for the WCH 2025 to more than S$16 million (US$12.5 million).

Welcoming this backing, Mark Chay, co-Chair of the Singapore 2025 Organising Committee, advised "these organisations are highly regarded both locally and internationally, and we’re thrilled to have them on board to elevate the event experience for athletes and spectators.

"The Championships will be part of the celebrations for the country’s 60th year of independence, and we are heartened to have such strong backing from local corporate organisations in the lead-up to this milestone.”

In addition to strong backing from local corporate partners, Singapore 2025 is gaining momentum through a series of community roadshows aimed at bringing the excitement of aquatic sports to the wider public and fostering participation at all levels. The inaugural roadshow, which launched at ION Orchard on 9th May, featured interactive experiences where visitors could test their swimming, water polo and high diving platform skills.

Olympic champion Joseph Schooling and local musician Benjamin Kheng, a former national swimmer, headlined the festivities as team captains in a series of lively aquatic-themed challenges. They were joined by Team Singapore water polo athletes - Lee Kai Yang, Abielle Yeo, Nicole Lim, Rochelle Ong, Cayden Loh and Dominic Chan - who interacted with the crowd and added to the vibrant, family-friendly atmosphere.

In the lead-up to the Championships, eight more malls will host roadshows offering the public a chance to experience aquatic sports first-hand. The final stop will be at Kallang Wave Mall from 11th July to 22nd August, aligning with both the World Aquatics Championships and the Masters Championships.

Competition will be based at two primary venues: the World Aquatics Championships Arena (WCH Arena) and the OCBC Aquatic Centre at the Singapore Sports Hub. These urban venues will host swimming, diving, water polo and artistic swimming, while open water swimming and high diving will be staged along the scenic coastline of Sentosa Island.

The WCH Arena, a temporary venue being constructed next to Leisure Park Kallang Mall, is taking shape in close collaboration with government authorities to ensure all safety and sustainability protocols are met. This purpose-built facility, along with the OCBC Aquatic Centre, will host the Southeast Asian (SEA) Age Group Championships from 18th to 27th June 2025 - giving the public a chance to witness live aquatic competition ahead of the global event, while also playing a crucial role in preparing the organisers for full operational readiness.

This follows the successful staging of the Swimming World Cup - Singapore 2024, which gave organisers vital experience in executing a major international aquatics event.

Chay noted "the World Aquatics Championships Singapore 2025 is a much larger event, and it was important for us to get a head start on these processes with our team and our partners from the various agencies.

“At full strength, the Singapore 2025 team will comprise over 6,000 people, including staff and volunteers.”

Courtesy of Tatsuo Ogura/World Aquatics Correspondent.

Images: Concept for the temporary high-diving venue on Sentosa Island that will host World Aquatics Championships events from 11th July to 3rd August 2025 (top) and the OCBC Aquatic Centre (below).