The Gambia Swimming & Aquatic Sports Association (GSASA) is organising its 2nd Regional Open Water Swimming in Tanjai, West Coast Region, on Saturday the 21st of April beginning at 1pm. The competition is open to all male and female swimmers above 14 years.

The competition, according to the organisers, is purely restricted to swimmers living in North Region. All the other regions will equally have their chance to select their best swimmers for the National Open Water Championship 2012.

Interested swimmers are urged to call the following technical committee members and register. Registrations after Thursday the 19th will not be considered. The numbers to contact concerning registration are: 6887460 / 7706524 / 3100214 / 9945337 / 3636363.

Open water is both the youngest and oldest of FINA’s disciplines. In Beijing it will be the fifth sport under the guardianship of the International Swimming Federation to join the Olympic family when the inaugural 10km marathon swim unfolds on August 20, 2008, but the journey actually began in ancient times.

According to the organisers, the aims and objectives of the competition are to bring together all the swimmers in every region to demonstrate their marathon swimming skills. This, they added, will help the association to scout for good Open Water Swimmers for the National Open Water Team. It is also geared towards promoting, encouraging, organising and developing Open Water Swimming and other related aquatic activities in all the different regions of The Gambia.

The regional competitions will also provide opportunities for specialised marathon swimmers to start competing at standardized FINA Open Water competition rules and regulations and to expand the membership of the association in all the regions, in anticipation of creating mass participation in swimming.