Union sports minister Anurag Singh Thakur on Tuesday, February 6th kicked off BIMSTEC Aquatics Championships 2024 in New Delhi, which is being held for the first time. BIMSTEC (The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) constitutes a unique link between South and South-East Asian countries with five members from South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka) and two members from South-East Asia (Myanmar and Thailand). (More Sports News)
Speaking post the event, Thakur said, "World's 25% population lives in South Asia and Southeast Asian reason and with the coming together of seven BIMSTEC countries, the Bay of Bengal area not only becomes a region used for travel and transportation but also becomes an area of progress, development and collaboration which will help in not only deeper friendship but also building a deeper sporting culture which will help deepen friendship between athletes and that is exactly the thought that our honourable Prime Minister envisioned when he announced this sporting event at the summit in Nepal."
The organisation for the first time in history is hosting a sports competition. The announcement for the same was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 4th BIMSTEC Summit in 2018, where he announced the organising of the BIMSTEC Youth Water Sports competition in India. The event was initially proposed for the year 2021, however, it was later postponed to 2024 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic across the world.
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Along with Thakur, the opening ceremony was also attended by Nepal's minister of youth affairs and sports Dig Bahadur Limbu and Indra Mani Pandey, secretary general, BIMSTEC. The event was also graced by high commissioners and ambassadors to India of BIMSTEC among dignitaries from visiting countries and the government of India.
The championships are being held at Delhi’s Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Swimming Pool Complex from 6th February to 9th February, 2024 with competitions being held for the under-20 age category in swimming, water polo and diving events.
A total of 39 medals will be given out across three sporting events along with a total of nine trophies that will be at stake. Over 500 personnel are expected at the events, including 268 athletes from various BIMSTEC member countries.
