Latest news with #HusainAlMusallam
Times of Oman
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Olympic Council of Asia to open first Asian Games Virtual Museum this October
KUWAIT: The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) will launch the Asian Games Virtual Museum in October 2025, creating the first comprehensive digital archive of Asia's premier sporting competition. Step inside stadiums where history was made. Walk through Olympic villages. Stand on podiums where champions were crowned. The museum spans seven decades of competition, available in dozens of languages including English, Arabic, Mandarin and Russian, ensuring fans across Asia can explore their sporting heritage whether browsing on a phone or diving into full VR. "This museum tells the stories that shaped Asian sport," said Husain Al-Musallam, OCA Director General. "Every medal ceremony, every record broken, every moment of triumph – they all find a home here. It's how we honor our athletes and share their achievements with the world." The platform features interactive timelines tracking the Games' growth from 11 participating countries to today's 45 OCA member nations. Users can search the archive by sport, country, or athlete, with content available in multiple Asian languages. Beyond entertainment, the museum serves educational institutions and researchers studying sports development across Asia. The OCA partnered with digital archivists and sports historians to ensure historical accuracy and cultural sensitivity throughout the collection. The virtual museum will continue expanding after launch, with new content added following each Asian Games edition. The OCA plans to include behind-the-scenes footage, athlete interviews, and rare photographs donated by national Olympic committees across the region.
CNA
6 days ago
- Sport
- CNA
Singapore wraps up historic World Aquatics Championships, passes baton to Budapest
SINGAPORE: The World Aquatics Championships wrapped up in Singapore on Sunday (Aug 3), with the championships flag officially handed over to Budapest, the next host city of the event. The ceremony took place on Sunday evening before the final session of the competition, tournament organisers said in a media release. The championships flag was received by Hungarian Swimming Federation President Sandor Wladar and International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission Member Daniel Gyurta. Budapest is slated to host the event in 2027. "The last three weeks have brought us enthralling and inspiring performances in the water, and we're honoured to have witnessed these incredible feats from the world's best aquatics athletes," said Singapore 2025 organising committee co-chair and former national swimmer Mark Chay. World Aquatics President Captain Husain Al-Musallam lauded Singapore as an "outstanding host" for World Aquatics events. "As the first edition of the Championships to be held in Southeast Asia, this event marked an important milestone for our sport." He added that the organisation is proud to have such a "strong and trusted partner in this important region of the world'. RECORDS AT SINGAPORE 2025 The edition in Singapore saw over 10 championship records, including at least three world records set. France's Leon Marchand broke the men's 200m individual medley world record with a time of 1:52.69 in the semi-finals, while the USA lowered the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay world record. The US also smashed their own world record in winning the women's 4x100m medley relay world title with 3:49.34, beating their previous record of 3:49.63 from Paris a year ago. Germany's Florian Wellbrock dominated in the waters off Sentosa, becoming the first athlete to win four gold medals in open water swimming at the championships. China topped the medal table with 15 gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze medals across the six sports. This was followed by Australia - 13 gold, seven silver, eight bronze - and the US with 10 gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze medals. TEAM SINGAPORE There were plenty of firsts and historic moments for Team Singapore, which fielded its largest contingent of 72 athletes, including 30 debutants. Paris Olympian Gan Ching Hwee smashed three national records in two days in the women's 400m, 800m, and 1,500m freestyle. She also became the first Singaporean woman since 2007 to reach a final at the World Aquatics Championships, when she qualified fourth in the women's 1,500m freestyle heats. She later finished seventh in the final. Debutant Ainslee Kwang, 14, became the first Singaporean diver to qualify for a semi-final at the championships after scoring a personal best of 285 in the women's 10m platform. Singapore's men's water polo team made their World Championships debut, finishing 15th in the competition. Singapore swimmers were also the top Southeast Asian athletes in several open water swimming categories. Chantal Liew and Kate Ona were the top Southeast Asian finishers in the women's 10km and 5km, respectively, while teammate Artyom Lukasevits was the top Southeast Asian in the men's 10km. The aquatics championships in Singapore was attended by about 140,000 spectators across three weeks, with "sell-out sessions" at the finals of diving, swimming, water polo and artistic swimming, tournament organisers said. It reached a global audience spanning 145 territories with over 300 hours of live broadcast coverage of the six aquatic sports across 24 days of competition.
NBC Sports
31-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
NBC SPORTS AND WORLD AQUATICS EXTEND MEDIA RIGHTS PARTNERSHIP THROUGH 2028
July 31, 2025 - World Aquatics has extended its exclusive U.S. media rights agreement with NBC Sports through 2028, in a deal brokered by global agency SPORTFIVE. The multi-year deal guarantees American audiences will continue to enjoy the excitement of world-class aquatic competition, headlined by the World Aquatics Championships, the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) and the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup series. The agreement helps boost momentum toward the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games in the U.S. while ensuring coverage for the flagship World Aquatics events and sharing the performances of US aquatics athletes with their home audience. As part of the agreement, NBC Sports will present a dynamic slate of World Aquatics events annually across NBC and Peacock, including: World Aquatics Championships World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) Swimming World Cup Artistic Swimming World Cup Super Final Diving World Cup High Diving World Cup Crucially, the agreement includes the 2027 World Aquatics Championships, in Budapest (Hungary), a major highlight on the international sports calendar and a key milestone on the road to the LA 2028 Olympic Games. The World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) – Beijing 2026 will also feature. Husain Al Musallam, World Aquatics President, said: 'We are delighted to extend our valued partnership with NBC Sports, a broadcaster that shares our commitment to bringing the excitement and excellence of aquatic sports to fans across the United States. This agreement ensures broad and consistent exposure for our athletes and events, including the 2027 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest—a key milestone on the road to the LA 2028 Olympic Games. With NBC Sports' unparalleled reach and storytelling, we look forward to inspiring new generations and celebrating the global aquatics community together.' This extension marks a significant development for aquatic media exposure in the U.S. and continues NBC Sports' tradition of providing robust Olympic sport programming. Already the U.S. media rightsholder for the Olympic Games through 2036, NBC Sports' expanded World Aquatics coverage complements its existing coverage of USA Swimming and the 2028 U.S. Olympic Trials. Joe Gesue, SVP, Olympic Programming & Planning, NBC Sports, stated: 'Our long-standing relationship with our valued partners at World Aquatics is core to our mission of telling the stories and showcasing the achievements of the world's greatest athletes to the American audience. Aquatic sports have provided so many magical moments over the years, from swimming stars like Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky, clutch diving golds by Laura Wilkinson and David Boudia, world championship wins in water polo, and the U.S. artistic swimming team's viral program from Paris. We are excited about sharing many more on the road to LA28.' This partnership also underscores SPORTFIVE's role as one of the world's leading media rights agencies. With decades of experience negotiating and facilitating global sports media deals, SPORTFIVE continues to help premium rightsholders and broadcasters create impactful partnerships that grow audiences and boost sports visibility. From Olympic sports to global championships, SPORTFIVE connects premium content with premier platforms, bringing world-class sports to global audiences. Thomas Klingebiel, President Media Global, SPORTFIVE, added: 'SPORTFIVE is proud to have brokered this landmark agreement between World Aquatics and NBC. NBC's longstanding commitment to showcasing elite aquatic sports makes them the ideal partner to elevate the profile of aquatics in the United States. This partnership ensures that fans across the U.S. will have unprecedented access to the world's top aquatic competitions.' About NBC Sports NBC Sports connects sports fans to the moments that matter most with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. As the sports division of NBCUniversal, NBC Sports produces, programs, and promotes premier content across numerous linear and digital platforms, including NBC and Peacock. NBC Sports possesses an unparalleled collection of media rights agreements, partnering and presenting many of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the NFL, NBA, WNBA, Big Ten Conference, Big East Conference, Notre Dame, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, USGA, PGA of America, The R&A, Churchill Downs, Premier League, and many more. It is renowned for making big events bigger and has produced some of the most-watched sporting events in U.S. media history, including Olympic Games, Super Bowls, and Sunday Night Football, primetime television's No. 1 show for 14 consecutive years. About World Aquatics Driven by the vision of a world united by water for health, life and sport, World Aquatics is the international governing body for aquatic sports. Founded in 1908, World Aquatics is an independent organisation formed of 210 National Federations and five Continental Organisations. World Aquatics oversees six aquatic sports – swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open water swimming and high diving – and is recognised as the leading global authority of these sports by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). For more information, please visit: About SPORTFIVE SPORTFIVE is a global sports marketing agency that delivers customer-centric solutions based on trust and transparency, deep industry experience and global relationships, digital intelligence and innovation. SPORTFIVE strategically and creatively connects brands, rightsholders, media platforms and fans to create and enable contemporary partnerships in sports. While creating and growing long-term value for all, SPORTFIVE often leads the sports business into the future through innovative digital solutions and strives to be the most progressive and respected partner in sports. Being at the centre of professional sport SPORTFIVE will use its unique position, in order to make a positive contribution to sustainability and to live up to the social and economic duty and responsibility, which sport and consequently all parties involved, also have. SPORTFIVE operates with a global mindset and network of over 1,200 local experts based in 15 countries around the world, active in Football, Golf, Handball, Motorsport, Esports, Cricket, Tennis, American Football, Basketball, Hockey, Rugby, Olympics and Multi-Sport Events, Wintersports and many more.
Techday NZ
30-07-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
World Aquatics to migrate core systems to Alibaba Cloud by 2028
World Aquatics has selected Alibaba Cloud as its Global Exclusive Cloud Supplier in a partnership that will result in the full migration of the federation's core systems to cloud infrastructure. The agreement, which will run from 2025 through to 2028, will be implemented across all World Aquatics events, including World Aquatics Championships, World Cup cycles, and its various digital platforms. Cloud migration This marks the first time that the core systems of an international sports federation will be fully migrated to the cloud. World Aquatics will utilise Alibaba Cloud's cloud computing and artificial intelligence capabilities to support ongoing digital transformation of its operations and services. Husain Al Musallam, President of World Aquatics, stated, "This is a significant step forward for World Aquatics. Alibaba Cloud brings not only global cloud coverage and proven technical expertise, but also a great understanding of the demands of international sport on digital platforms. This partnership will allow us to scale our operations, improve our platforms' stability, enhance data security and serve our community more effectively." Operational and digital goals The partnership aims to support World Aquatics' global digital operations and evolving data strategy, providing a suite of cloud services and AI-driven solutions for the organisation's requirements. It is also intended to help foster a more connected global aquatics community and advance World Aquatics' broader vision of promoting unity and health through aquatic sports. Selina Yuan, President of International Business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, commented, "We are thrilled to reach this significant milestone in collaboration with World Aquatics. Alibaba Cloud is dedicated to driving the digital transformation of global sports through our leading AI and cloud computing technologies. This exclusive partnership not only showcases our long-standing commitment to sports innovation, but also creates new opportunities to elevate the aquatic sports experience for athletes, organizations, and fans worldwide." Key initiatives Under the agreement, several digital initiatives are planned. These include migrating and upgrading the next generation World Aquatics General Management System (GMS) to Alibaba Cloud to enhance service delivery to national federations and athletes. The federation will also launch a new web platform and mobile application designed for athletes, coaches, and fans. Alibaba Cloud will provide scalable and secure cloud environments for the digital ecosystem supporting World Aquatics' competitions and other digital properties. Another part of the partnership is the development of a Customer Data Platform, which will help World Aquatics better understand and engage its various audience groups and provide tailored services and solutions. Integration of Alibaba Cloud's AI technologies across these platforms is also intended to drive efficiency and optimise processes. "This is a significant step forward for World Aquatics. Alibaba Cloud brings not only global cloud coverage and proven technical expertise, but also a great understanding of the demands of international sport on digital platforms. This partnership will allow us to scale our operations, improve our platforms' stability, enhance data security and serve our community more effectively." Stakeholder impact The collaboration will see the digital architecture and intelligence for World Aquatics' ecosystem combined within one integrated environment. The objective is to strengthen capabilities for serving athletes, coaches, clubs, and other stakeholders associated with aquatic sports globally. World Aquatics currently governs six aquatic sports: swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open water swimming, and high diving. The organisation consists of 210 national federations and five continental organisations, and is recognised as the global authority for aquatic sports by the International Olympic Committee. Alibaba Cloud, founded in 2009, provides a range of cloud services including elastic computing, database and storage, network virtualisation, security, big data analytics, and AI services to customers worldwide.
Independent Singapore
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
2025 World Aquatics Championships opening ceremony in Singapore marked by inspiring cultural performances
Photo: Istvan Derencsenyi/World Aquatics Website / The 2025 World Aquatics Championships, taking place in Singapore, recently kicked off with a grand opening ceremony at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre. The event showcased a series of captivating and inspiring performances. Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam attended the official opening, together with government ministers and members of the World Aquatics community. A variety of cultural performances highlighting Singapore's strong bond with water were presented in the ceremony. A Parade of Flags representing the 206 countries with registered athletes was presented through a video display. About 2,500 athletes will participate in the competition set to run from July 11 to Aug 3. Highlights of the event The evening started with a remarkable performance of the Rainwoven dance by the School of the Arts, Singapore, to celebrate diversity and the strength found in unity. The national anthem of Singapore was then sung by the Victoria Junior College Choir, a group recognised internationally for its numerous awards. World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam extended a warm welcome to all the participants. ' On behalf of World Aquatics, I would like to thank Singapore, the Government, the Organising Committee, the Sports Ministry and Singapore Aquatics for coming up so quickly and hosting the 22nd edition of the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore,' he said. He added: 'It's a record for our World Aquatics Championships – 206 countries registered to participate here in Singapore and nearly 2,500 athletes.' President Tharman Shanmugaratnam also welcomed the worldwide aquatics community to the country, noting, 'Over the next three weeks, we will witness about 2,500 athletes from around the world compete over 77 medal events. Singapore is also happy to welcome almost 6,000 masters-aged athletes who are here for the World Aquatics Masters Championships. What we celebrate, too, is the quiet but profound way in which sport can bring us together, even when we are rooting for different teams. In a world increasingly divided, sport reminds us that we can strive together, even as we compete; that we can demonstrate our common humanity.' The president added, ' It's a real honour for Singapore to host the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, and the first time too, that a Southeast Asian nation is hosting the event. And as Captain Husain observed, it's a special moment for Singapore, because it's also the year in which we celebrate our 60th anniversary since independence.' The ceremony concluded with a tribute video followed by a performance of 'Singa Roar' by the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS). This percussion piece highlighted the Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Latino drums, celebrating Singapore's rich cultural diversity and the harmonious collaboration with people from all over the world. The complete schedule for the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025 is available here. () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
