Under the collaboration, Myrtha Pools is set to provide one 25 by 15 metres swimming pool to a National Federation each year to improve accessibility to aquatics.

This falls under the Pools for All programme, which was launched in 2019.

FINA is currently financing and overseeing the construction of a pool in Bhutan's capital Thimphu on the edge of the Himalayas.

This makes the Bhutan Aquatics Federation the first to benefit from the initiative.

Husain Al-Musallam, President of FINA, underlined the importance of ensuring that aquatics is as accessible as possible.

"It is FINA's responsibility to help as many people as possible to learn to swim," he said.

"With the support of Myrtha Pools, our Pools for All programme will make world-class facilities available to our National Federations around the world and help get more young people into the water and learning to swim."

Al-Musallam referenced the Pools for All programme during his report to the FINA Extraordinary Congress in Budapest, and insisted that the new facility in Bhutan would be "just the beginning".

He revealed that projects are being worked upon in Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, Tonga and Timor-Leste as part of the programme.

Myrtha Pools has been a FINA partner since 2009, and its chief executive Roberto Colletto added: "At Myrtha Pools we are determined to help FINA promote swimming as a sport and an essential life skill worldwide.

"We are therefore very proud to support FINA’s Pools for All Programme and provide FINA’s National Federations with access to affordable learn to swim facilities, regardless of the location."

The collaboration agreement on the Pools for All programme was finalised at the ongoing FINA World Championships in Budapest, which are due to run until July 3.