Reaffirming Egypt's status as a global hub for aquatic sports, Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports, inaugurated the opening leg of the World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup 2025 in Somabay, held from 18 to 22 February. Building on the success of the 2023 and 2024 editions, this event further cements Egypt's position as a premier destination for international sporting competitions. The tournament features a record-breaking 129 elite swimmers (73 men and 56 women) from 28 national federations, alongside 16 relay teams from 10 national federations, making it the most widely represented Open Water Swimming World Cup event in history. For the first time, participants span all continents, underscoring the competition's truly global stature. Sobhy emphasized the significance of hosting such a prestigious international event, highlighting its role in enhancing Egypt's reputation as a leading sports and tourism destination. "Hosting the World Cup's opening leg in Somabay reflects the continuous development of Egypt's sports infrastructure and reaffirms our readiness to stage major international events," he stated. He credited the tournament's success to the strong partnership between World Aquatics, the Egyptian Swimming Federation, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, in collaboration with private sector stakeholders. Husain Al-Musallam, President of World Aquatics, praised Somabay's contribution to the advancement of open water swimming: "Somabay's ability to deliver a top-tier competition environment year after year makes it a cornerstone of our global circuit, reflecting Egypt's commitment to aquatic sports." Yasser Idris, President of the Egyptian Olympic Committee and the Egyptian Swimming Federation, highlighted the importance of public-private collaboration in hosting major sporting events. "The continued success of the Open Water Swimming World Cup demonstrates Egypt's growing influence in global aquatic sports and serves as an inspiration for future generations of athletes," he said. He also noted that Egypt's participation with a junior national team provides young swimmers the opportunity to improve their world rankings, supporting preparations for the 2028 and 2032 Olympic Games. Ibrahim El-Missiri, Group CEO of Somabay, emphasized the value of strategic collaboration between the public and private sectors. "Hosting the Open Water Swimming World Cup for the third consecutive year reflects our commitment to providing an ideal environment for athletes, reinforcing Egypt's standing as a global sports destination," he remarked. The competition officially kicked off on 21 February with the men's and women's 10 km individual races, followed by the 4×1.5 km mixed relay on 22 February, featuring elite swimmers from around the world. In the Men's 10km Individual Race, Germany's Florian Wellbrock secured first place, followed by France's Logan Fontaine in second and Marc-Antoine Olivier in third. The Women's 10km Individual Race saw Australia's Moesha Johnson claim gold, with Italy's Ginevra Taddeucci taking silver and Australia's Chelsea Gubecka finishing third. Following the Egyptian leg, the World Cup will continue with stops in Ibiza, Spain; Setúbal, Portugal; and Golfo Aranci, Italy, with the final venue and date to be announced. On the sidelines of the event, Sobhy visited the Soma Bay Sports Arena, a state-of-the-art sports facility featuring an Aquatics Center with Olympic and semi-Olympic swimming pools, as well as courts for padel, squash, and grass tennis, a multipurpose court, a football pitch, and a high-performance gym. Praising the venue's world-class facilities, he emphasized that such investments enhance Egypt's ability to attract international training camps and host major global sports championships.
