Some 15 clubs, including four from overseas, are set to compete at the 28th staging of the Karl Dalhouse Memorial Invitational Swim Meet.

The swim meet takes place at the National Aquatic Centre from February 2 to 4 and is hosted by the Y’Speedos Swim Club, the oldest swim club in Jamaica, which was founded by Karl Dalhouse. The club is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday following the event’s launch, Omar Kennedy, the meet co-director, gave an overview as to what patrons can expect at the swim meet.

“You can expect lots of qualifying times both for persons doing personal bests and a number of our senior swimmers will be looking to qualify for the Olympics. There are also swimmers who will be trying to vie for other games including the Caribbean Free Trade Association (Carifta) Games,” said Kennedy.

He said that more corporate entities should support swimming.

“Swimming is an underrated sport and these opportunities show the world that these persons sweat just as much as the others.

“Organisations need to put more into it. Our swimmers work just as hard as the other disciplines. Swimming is just not a widely viewed sport,” he reasoned.

Swimmers Alia Atkinson, Sidrell Williams and Kyle Sinclair are among those who have participated in the Karl Dalhouse swim meet over the years.

Some 500 swimmers are set to compete in this year’s swim meet.

Julian Willoughby, a student at Campion College, is a four-time competitor.

“This is one of the many meets that I look forward to each year because it has the most energy, the most vibes and I tend to do my best at times at Karl Dalhouse and I think that’s because of the environment. It’s so positive and I get to meet new people from abroad,” said Willoughby.

Milo is one of the gold sponsors for the swim meet and public relations manager at Nestle, Camille Campbell, said the association was a no-brainer.

“For us at Nestle and Milo, in particular, we have an attraction to activities that are nutrition and health-based and which promote wellness. So for us, you’ll always see Milo showing up at sporting events. The way swimming fosters competitiveness and discipline in young people, it’s something we are really attracted to. Those values align with Milo very well,” said Campbell.

This is the third year that Good 2 Grow Yogurt will be a partner for the swim meet.

“The partnership definitely works well for us. We have found our target market right here and we have excellent products, so it’s a win-win for us,” said Good 2 Grow Yogurt Brand Manager Dionne Henry.

Other partners include Sagicor, Jetcon, Gatorade, NHT, Victoria Mutual Pension Management, Universal Service Fund, Transport Authority, Spanish Grain, Rainbow Awnings, NWA, and the Sugar Corporation of Jamaica.