Boracay set for Southeast Asia open water championships

Boracay Island will host the 4th Southeast Asia Open Water Swimming Championships from Aug. 21 to 23, 2026, at Boracay Newcoast.

Presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, the three-day competition is organized by Philippine Aquatics Inc. in cooperation with Southeast Asia Aquatics, the province of Aklan and various government agencies.

The championships aim to showcase athletic excellence while promoting sportsmanship, cultural exchange and Philippine sports tourism.

“We are very proud to host this event because open water swimming is an Olympic event,” PAI secretary-general Eric Buhain said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday at the PSC media room.

The championships’ 10-kilometer race covers the same distance used in Olympic marathon swimming, which made its Games debut at Beijing 2008, according to World Aquatics.

Buhain, a legendary Team Philippines swimmer, said organizers expect 100 to 120 competitors from eight countries.

The projected field includes 35 Philippine entries across the men’s and women’s 3K, 5K and 10K events.

“We are also here to promote our country in the same breath that Bali and Pattaya hosted the event. Pagandahan,” Buhain said.

Buhain was joined at the forum by PSC Commissioner Fritz Gaston, PAI Vice President Jojo Quilop and PAI Executive Director Anthony Reyes.

Gaston said the international competition would strengthen the country’s sports tourism program under the National Sports Tourism-Inter Agency Committee headed by PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio.

“I’m also looking forward to this event because of the sports tourism aspect as well as the competition. Philippine Aquatics is on the right track promoting this,” Gaston said.

The PSA Forum was presented by San Miguel Corporation, the PSC, the Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus.

Festival races open to all swimmers will also be staged over distances of 2km and 3km during the three-day event.

Previous editions of the regional championships were hosted by Bali, Indonesia, and Pattaya, Thailand.

“This sporting event not only advances the growth of open water swimming in Southeast Asia but also shines a spotlight on Boracay Island as a true gem of the region while reflecting the warmth and hospitality of the Filipino people,” PAI President Michael Vargas said in a prepared statement.

“Very curious ang Philippine Aquatics to uplift open water swimming in our country,” Buhain said.

Buhain added that delegates from Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia were already considering extending their stays in Boracay after the competition.

PAI conducted tryouts from June 5 to 7 to select the members of the Philippine national team.