DALIT BAY: The world’s premier open-water swimming championship, OCEANMAN, made its highly anticipated return to the pristine shores of Sabah last weekend, on July 4th and 5th, 2026.
Hosted at the breathtaking Shangri-La Rasa Ria, Kota Kinabalu, this year’s event marks a bittersweet milestone, serving as the grand finale after a spectacular three-year run in the region. Organisers have confirmed that the championship will move to a brand-new venue next year.
The 2026 edition had drawn a highly diverse international field, bringing together 458 athletes representing 31 countries. Competitors had flown in from across the globe, including Russia, France, Mexico, Australia, India, and the United States.
Showcasing the rapid growth of the sport locally, 180 of the registered swimmers were proud Malaysians, mainly teenage athletes.
Commenting on the event’s significant impact, Sabah Tourism Board (STB) CEO, Julinus Jeffrey Jimit, highlighted the strategic value of hosting such high-calibre international events.
“OCEANMAN is a phenomenal platform to propel Sabah as a renowned sports tourism destination on the global stage. The success of this event is incredibly timely as we build momentum and aggressively promote our region leading up to the highly anticipated Visit Sabah Year 2027,” said Julinus.
The two-day championship featured a comprehensive lineup of categories tailored for all age groups and skill levels, ensuring an inclusive yet highly competitive atmosphere. The categories this year were the OCEAMAN (10KM), Half OCEANMAN (5KM), Sprint (2KM), OCEANKIDS (500M) and OCEANTEAMS Relay race (3 x 500M).
The OCEANMAN World Series event is the largest open-water event in the world. OCEANMAN Kota Kinabalu 2025 is organised by Tough Gorilla Ventures with support from the Sabah Tourism Board, Tourism Malaysia and Shangri-La Rasa Ria, Kota Kinabalu as the co-sponsors.
The top 10 swimmers in every age group, as well as the top 3 in the Inspiration Category (for swimmers with a degree of disability greater than 33%), will get a qualification slot for the OCEANMAN World Final Championship in Miches, Dominican Republic, from November 9 to 15, 2026.
In the Inspiration Category, this year’s chapter saw the second year that blind swimmer Faiq bin Adnan made an appearance. Competing in the 5KM distance, Faiq was accompanied by his swimming guide and coach, Dato’ Ooi Win Juat, who swam in tandem with him, leading the way throughout the race course.
For swimming coach Dato’ Ooi, old age or disability should never be an obstacle to pursuing athletic passion in open water swimming. Before coaching for swimmers in OCEANMAN, he had also participated in the 31KM Melaka Straits Swim relay in July 2018.
As a well-respected member of the community, Dato’ Ooi was the recipient of the Community Leader of the Year award in the Leadership Excellence Awards (2020/2021). Last year, Dato’ Ooi also accompanied Faiq to the OCEANMAN World Final Championship in Kite Beach, Dubai.
“I want to show others that visual impairment or any physical disability is not an excuse for not achieving life’s goals,” said visually impaired swimmer Faiq.
“One can still contribute actively to society and be an inspiration, no matter what card life deals you,” he added.
Blind since birth, Faiq famously made national history in 2013 by becoming the first blind swimmer to cross the 5KM Penang Straits, and has since represented Malaysia in global open water swimming events.
For OCEANMAN Malaysia Race Director, Azura Zainol Abidin, organising this world-class event for three straight years has been a labour of love and a satisfying dream come true.
“I am truly inspired and thrilled to see how an event like this has managed to create a large following among Malaysians, creating a multi-generational community of swimmers who are passionate about the sport of open water swimming. Most importantly, I am touched by the friendships that have been built through this event,” said Azura.
As the curtain closed on OCEANMAN’s three-year legacy in Sabah, the weekend had proved to be an unforgettable celebration of sportsmanship, community, and the unparalleled natural beauty of East Malaysia.-pr/BNN
