QUEEN’S ROAD: Nihar Ameen, the Dronacharya Award winner, has rendered glorious service to Indian swimming aspirants and groomed them to be Olympians like a man driven.
Associated with the KC Reddy Swim Centre in Sadashivnagar earlier, Nihar is now with the Dolphin Academy, JP Park, Mathikere. Among his trainees are the first Indian swimmers to make it to the Olympic Games swimming competition. Shikha Tandon at Athens in 2004 as also Virdhawal Khade and Sandeep Sejwal in Beijing in 2008 apart from champions like Meghana Narayan, Nisha Millet, Hakimuddin S H and Rehan Poncha.
Nihar Ameen has immense coaching experience, and possesses a lot of professional skills. He served as the assistant national team coach and as the senior coach at the Fort Lauderdale Swim Team in Florida, USA with team director and Olympic coach Jack Nelson from 1989-1992.
Nihar is a member of the World Swim Coaches Association and has been awarded level four (USS) certification by The American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA).
Nihar has a lot of knowledge about sports psychology. He motivates swimmers to give their best and inspires them with a very considerate approach.
“I applied for the Dronacharya Award because I thought I had the credentials to back me,” said Nihar about getting the award.
“Improvement will come only through more exposure trips. It does not matter where you train as it depends on the swimmer. But when you go outside and train, you get to know what they do to produce such consistent results, especially the likes of USA, UK and Australia, who are developed nations in swimming,” said Nihar.
“Chinese and Japanese swimmers have been very successful for years due to the funding they receive. They have the best facilities and the team surrounding the swimmer also matters. They have analysts, timers, nutritionists and physiotherapists and all of this helps their development in all respects. They have the technical and tactical advantage which is not the case with our swimmers,” Nihar opined.
After producing champions for his club and state, Nihar has been able to give swimmers a taste of Olympic competitiveness. Hopefully, one of his wards will be soon on an international podium waving a medal.