An open qualifying competition that will determine the composition of the country’s aquatics team to the Cambodia 32^nd Southeast Asian Games will be conducted on Feb. 18 and 19 at the New Clark City Aquatics Center in Capas, Tarlac.

This was announced on Thursday by the Stabilization Committee that was tasked by the World Aquatics (formerly FINA) Bureau to oversee aquatics (swimming) in the country.

The FINA, in a directive dated Dec. 3, 2022, ordered the creation of the Stabilization Committee to take over swimming in the country after it withdrew its recognition on the Philippine Swimming Inc.

The Stabilization Committee is composed of POC legal head Atty. Wharton Chan and deputy secretary general Valeriano “Bones” Floro and Bases Conversion Development Authority senior vice president Arrey Perez.

“The Stabilization Committee will supervise and manage the qualifiers or tryouts which is open to all athletes, clubs and stakeholders,” Floro said.

Floro said qualifiers will be in swimming, diving and water polo. Artistic swimming (synchronized) and open water swimming are not in the program of the May 5 to 17 Cambodia SEA Games.

For inquiries, email the POC Cambodia SEA Games Secretariat at [email protected].

Floro added that the qualifiers will be conducted based on the swimming technical handbook provided by the Cambodia SEA Games Organizing Committee.

In the handbook, a total of 20 events will be contested in swimming, two in water polo (men and women) and the individual 3-meter springboard and platform for men and women in diving.

The swimming events for men and women are freestyle 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1,500; backstroke 50, 100 and 200; breaststroke 50, 100 and 200; butterfly 50, 100 and 200; individual medley 200 and 400; and freestyle Relay 4×100 and 4×200.

There are also freestyle events in the 800 meters for women and 1,500 for men, as well as a 4×100 meters medley relay for men, women and mixed team.