Swimming with the best: Sarawak swimmers learn from world champs

KUCHING: With some of the world’s top swimmers training in Kuching this week, coach Voon Yong Hui believes the presence of international stars is a golden opportunity for local athletes to observe, learn, and rise.

Voon, who is the advisor of the Power Aquatics Swimming Club (PASC), said it was the first time Kuching has hosted such a large number of international teams at once — many of whom are competing in the ongoing World Aquatics Championships.

“To me, this is the first time so many international teams have come to Kuching.

“Most of them, you could say, are world-class swimmers,” he told Sarawak Tribune at the Sarawak State Youth and Sports Complex recently.

The teams have been using the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre and the Sarawak State Youth and Sports Complex as their training base.

Voon noted that while the facilities have long been recognised on paper, it was only after visiting that international coaches and swimmers truly appreciated what Sarawak had to offer.

“We’ve always told them we have good facilities here, but many didn’t know until they came. Once they saw it for themselves, they were really impressed,” he said.

He said the opportunity goes beyond showcasing infrastructure — it’s also about giving Sarawakian swimmers a front-row seat to world-class training methods and preparation routines.

“Our young swimmers now get to see how top-tier athletes prepare, how they warm up, how they focus. It’s a form of exposure that you can’t teach in a regular training session,” he said.

He added that such visits help bridge the experience gap and could inspire local athletes who might not otherwise get the chance to witness international-level preparation up close.

Additionally, Voon believes this could mark the beginning of more regular visits from international squads, especially during the off-season.

“We predict that more teams might come in the future, especially during winter, when their home countries are too cold for outdoor or aquatic training.

“Kuching offers the right climate, and now they know we have the facilities too,” he said.

Last week, Irish Olympic gold medallist Daniel Wiffen was among those training in Kuching ahead of the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, alongside national teams from Spain and Tunisia.