Papua has a beautiful landscape of waters in the form of beaches and seas and is used as a tourist destination that has its own charm. In addition to being a tourist attraction, the waters in Papua are also a source of livelihood, especially for fishermen. The existence of waters in Papua has led to the term that there are no Papuans who cannot swim, especially those located close to the coast. The tourism potential and economic potential have been seen heading in a positive direction, but there is one more potential that can be maximized from the waters in Papua, namely the potential to produce professional swimming athletes who can represent Papua in various competitions, both at the national level and representing Indonesia in international competitions.
The Main Base of the Indonesian Navy X, which has a base in Jayapura, is interested in helping to find hidden talents in children in Papua in the field of swimming. Therefore, the Danlantamal X Cup Open Water Swimming 2024 was held. This competition is a swimming competition that is open to Papuans who want to register and fight for medals and grand prizes. Another reason why the Indonesian Navy held this swimming competition was to remind people that Papua, including Indonesia, is a maritime region that is closely related to waters, especially beaches and oceans. So that Papua and Indonesia will not lose skilled swimmers in the future.
The event held at Dok II Beach Jayapura was attended by approximately 180 participants from various regions such as Jayapura, Merauke, Sarmi, and even from Makassar which is already outside Papua Province. As the title of the competition, namely Open Water Swimming, anyone is allowed to register as a participant in the competition. Although the main purpose is to invite Papuans to register so that the goal is achieved, namely selecting talented prospective swimmers from Papua.
The large number of registrants made the organizing committee optimistic that the swimming sport is still one of the most popular among the Papuan people. Moreover, several participants have indeed registered as members of swimming clubs in their respective areas, which shows their seriousness in becoming swimmers in the future. The organizing committee was even surprised when they found out that there were two youngest participants who took part in this competition, namely swimmers aged 5 and 7 years. The winners of the competition were given quite large prizes and coaching money. Especially for the two youngest participants, the organizing committee gave special prizes even though they did not get the podium. The courage to participate in the competition at a young age is expected to be an additional motivation for other swimmers to continue to train diligently. Similar swimming competitions are expected to continue to be held every year.
