Sabang, Aceh, (ANTARA News) - Divers from 21 countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa have confirmed their participation in free diving without equipment or the Sabang International Free-diving Championship 2018 (SIFC 2018) in Sabang City, Aceh Province.

"Participants from 21 countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa have registered to join the SIFC 2018 on November 3-8, 2018," Mayor of Sabang Nazaruddin remarked here on Friday.

He said 40 participants from 21 countries had confirmed their participation in the SIFC 2018.

Nazaruddin remarked that the participants came from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Australia, Hong Kong, China, Macau, and South Korea.

Divers from the Netherlands, the Philippines, Switzerland, Germany, Russia, Hungary, Taiwan, Ukraine, Britain, the United States, and South Africa will also participate.

Nazaruddin explained that the free diving participants will compete in three disciplines: constant weight, free immersion, and constant weight without fins.

This event of free diving without aids is being held for the second time in 2018 by the Sabang city government along with the Aceh provincial government and the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia.

"Our flagship tourism is maritime, and we continue to promote it to increase tourist visits to Sabang for the welfare of the local community," he noted.

The Central Government, through the Ministry of Tourism, has since 2012 designated Indonesia`s westernmost outer islands in Sabang as a National Tourism Strategic Area.

The Sabang municipality covers the five islands of Weh, Rubiah, Klah, Seulako, and Rondo, which are some 18 miles from the capital city of Aceh Province, Banda Aceh.

Reporting by Irman Yusuf

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