Hundreds of young swimmers will head to the pool in Larnaca this week for world aquatics day, celebrating the enthusiasm and talent of the next generation of Cypriot athletes.

The event will take place on July 8 and 9 at the Larnaca Olympic swimming pool, with 384 boys and girls aged between nine and 12 taking part.

The swimmers will represent ten nautical clubs and regional teams from across Cyprus.

The largest group will come from Famagusta North Coast with 75 athletes, followed by Larnaca with 64 and Limassol with 54.

The Cyprus Swimming Federation said the strong participation reflects the growing interest in competitive swimming among young athletes.

The programme includes individual races in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, as well as relay events.

Races will begin at 6.30pm on both days.