CHENNAI: SIX Indians will begin the country’s latest tryst in trying to make a mark at the World Aquatics Championships which begins in Budapest on July 14.
While Indians have made impressions in other fields, they have not been cracking the code in the world of aquatics. The latest batch to try and shatter the glass ceiling – Sajan Prakash, Madhu PS, Damini Gowda, Sayani Ghosh, Nikitha Venugopal, Omkumar Tokalkandiga – may not have a chance of reaching the podium but the experience they gain could come in handy at future international meets.
That’s what Damini, who also qualified for the upcoming Asian age-group meet at Uzbekistan in September, hopes. “I had been to the Junior Worlds in 2015 but this is my first taste of a senior international meet of this magnitude and I hope to learn from this experience,” she told Express. “The only goal I have is to improve my timing as that’s what tends to happen when you are competing against the world’s best. You are automatically pumped up when you see those stars and I hope I can achieve that.”
Another swimmer who hopes to come back with a new personal best is Sajan Prakash, who went to the 2016 Olympics. The 23-year-old, who qualified with a ‘B’ time at an event in Singapore, hopes to at least make the semifinals in one of the two events (100m and 200m butterfly). “I think I am in decent form,” he told Express. “I want to qualify at least for the semifinals. I am going to experiment here with something new and I hope that it helps achieve my target.”
Sajan, who dominated the 2015 National Games in Trivandrum, said his long-term view was to do well at the Asian Games next year. “Being a competitor at the Olympics is unlike any other. Experience and exposure-wise you learn a lot. I hope to put some of that into practice in Tokyo in three years time but the main long term goal for me is to do well at the Asiad in Jakarta next year.”
Not a single Indian athlete has managed to qualify beyond the heats in the last three editions but if they need an inspiration, Sajan just needs to look at one of his co-competitors in the 100m fly. Joseph Schooling. Singapore had next to no relevance in the world of swimming till the Rio Olympics. At Rio, Schooling changed that with one of the all-time great performances in the final. He pipped Michael Phelps, Chad le Clos and Laszlo Cseh.
India will be looking for something similar.
swaroop@newindianexpress.com