Abu Dhabi Sports Council has issued a call for more than 1,000 volunteers to support the Fina World Swimming Championships (25m) and the World Aquatics Festival taking place from December 15-21 on Yas Island.
With no previous experience required, volunteers aged 16 and over are encouraged to register for the unique opportunity of assisting the world-class sporting event across a range of duties. The volunteer roles include assisting athletes and organisers in the field of play, media management for the international media centre, stadium venue operations and sports presentations, among others.
Volunteers are being recruited through Abu Dhabi Sports Council’s volunteer programme, Emirati marshals, the UAE Swimming Federation as well as local swimming clubs and the community. Those interested in becoming a volunteer can register their interest via the event’s website.
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Providing a once-in-a-lifetime experience for volunteers, the World Championships will see more than 1,000 athletes from 180 countries compete across six days in 44 medal events including men’s and women’s events in all four strokes — freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly — along with the individual medley and relays. The Championships will take place in the state-of-the-art Etihad Arena, which is being transformed into an aquatics haven for the event.
Volunteers will also gain experience supporting the World Aquatic Festival, which will be hosted in parallel with the Swimming Championships in Yas Bay, and features the Fina High Diving Qualifier, the ultimate leg of the Fina/CNSG Marathon Swim World Series, a brand-new Open Water Swimming Mixed Relay, and a Fina Diving Team Exhibition. Alongside the swimming and diving action, volunteers will also support in the interactive Market Street, which will be packed with family-friendly entertainment.
Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “We are delighted to bring yet another major international event to the capital, welcoming over 1,000 athletes to Yas Island this coming December. Events of this magnitude simply would not be possible without the support of volunteers, and I invite the whole community to get involved!
“As well as encouraging young people to live a more active lifestyle and giving them inspiration by working on an event which will welcome the world’s best swimmers, this opportunity will afford them the chance to learn new skills and challenge themselves both physically and mentally.
“Our aim is to provide people from a range of communities across the UAE with experience in assisting behind-the-scenes at a world-class event hosted in the city. Volunteers will make lifelong memories and the experience may spark sporting interests that endure well beyond the last event of the championship.
“Volunteers will undoubtedly play an invaluable role in making the event a major success and we look forward to welcoming applications from people of all walks of life.”
