Somabay strengthens position as a leading watersports destination
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Following the success of last year’s World Aquatics Festival at Somabay, the renowned Egyptian destination is delighted to this year be hosting three of the World Aquatics World Cup competitions. Taking place in March, May and August 2024, this year’s World Aquatics events will bring open water swimming and beach water polo to Somabay’s shores, with competitions available for a variety of skill levels.
The World Aquatics Festival kicks off in Somabay’s crystal-clear waters, with the first leg of the Open Water Swimming World Cup on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March. The season begins with the mixed relay competition, with 10km races for both men and women, which sees a total of 100 participants take to the water, competing for the title in the first leg of the prestigious World Cup.
Following the conclusion of the Open Water Swimming World Cup, Somabay will then play host to two beach water polo competitions as part of the wider festival; the Elite Beach Water Polo 2024 World Cup, during which 250 elite players aged between 21 and 29 will take to the water from Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 May, and an under 18s Beach Water Polo Cup, running from Wednesday 28 to Saturday 31 August. Strengthening Somabay’s positioning as a leading water sports event provider, these top-level events within the World Aquatics Festival will drive interest in the destination from water sports lovers across the world.
Further building on its credentials in the sporting industry, Somabay has recently signed an agreement with the OneFlow Aquatics Academy, a professional aquatics centre with a focus on swimming. The partnership agreement, signed at ITB Berlin on Monday 05 March, will see OneFlow Aquatics take on the management of Somabay’s new Aquatics Centre, part of the Soma Sports Arena, where they will host local and international training camps throughout the year.
Scheduled to open in September 2024, Somabay’s OneFlow Aquatics Centre will include an Olympic-sized ten-lane swimming pool, along with a five-lane pool and a covered indoor gym with dedicated areas for cardio, yoga, weights and functional training. A new 180-key sports-centric hotel will also be opening its doors later this year, offering a convenient option for those attending OneFlow’s training camps and future sports events at Somabay.
Ibrahim El Missiri, CEO of the Abu Soma Development Company commented, “We are delighted to be expanding our sporting offering with the development of the Soma Sports Arena, which will provide a world-class space for a variety of sports to be practiced, including watersports and swimming with the opening of the OneFlow Aquatics Centre. In recent years we have achieved huge success in this space through the hosting of events including last year’s World Aquatics Festival and other events, and we very much look forward to continuing our achievements in years to come.”
“We hope that the upcoming completion of the Soma Sports Arena will drive new audiences to Somabay as we continue to position ourselves as a leading sporting destination”, added Ashraf El Siessy, Director of Hospitality at the Abu Soma Development Company. “Our aim is to create spaces that are suitable for both professional sportspeople and guests looking to try their hand at a new sport, and the Soma Sports Arena will help us to achieve exactly that.”
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