By Sports Reporter/Doha

While Chad Le Clos and Katinka Hosszu are the favourites, the local crowd will be rooting for Oussama Mellouli to sizzle in the FINA/ MASTBANK Swimming World Cup 2014 to be held at the Hamad Aquatic Centre today and tomorrow.
The Three-time Olympic medallist from Tunisia is the greatest swimmer the Arab region has produced. And apart from competing for glory in Doha, he is also the official ambassador for the event. The reigning 5km World Champion will play an important role in supporting Qatar’s mission to use both the World Cup and the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) to be held in Doha in December, as a platform to inspire the next generation of
swimmers not only in Qatar but across the region.
“The 2014 offers a fantastic opportunity for swimming in the Middle East. With a World Cup and a World Championships being hosted in Qatar this year it’s crucial that we use the power of those events to inspire talent and leave a legacy for the sport across the region,” Mellouli, who became the first Arab male swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal in 2008 Beijing game, said.
“This is a region very close to my heart and so it’s great to be back here. I hope the home crowds in Doha will get behind me this weekend and help me perform to my best,” he added.
Mellouli is spearheading a programme, which gives young swimmers valuable exposure to a major international championship, the opportunity to train with the world’s leading coaches as they continue to hone their talent, and a chance to meet their swimming heroes.  
“When I was younger we didn’t have world-class training facilities in the region that are capable of hosting major championships like we see in Qatar today – I went to the USA to train. It’s important to me to be supporting the development of Arab talent in swimming, sharing my own experiences and using the facilities we have here in the region to do that. With a World Cup and a World Championships being hosted in Qatar this year it’s crucial that we use the power of those events to inspire talent and leave a legacy for the sport,” the US-based swimmer said.
Mellouli went into brief retirement from professional swimming after the London 2012 Olympic Games but has since returned to competition.
“After London 2012, I thought I didn’t want to swim anymore but the sport has given me so much and I still feel like I have a lot achieve in the pool,” he said.
The Tunisian, who won 15 gold medals at the 2011 Arab Games in Doha, has earlier this year announced plans for an academy for young swimmers in partnership with Qatar Olympic
Committee and the Qatar Swimming Association. The Oussama Mellouli Swimming Academy will give swimmers from Qatar and the wider Arab world a place to train and excel under the direction of one of the greatest swimmers of the region.


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