The Hindu : Sport : Twin task at hand for Pradeep

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Tuesday, Aug 07, 2007
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Sport

Twin task at hand for Pradeep

Special Correspondent

Coach believes India ‘should win a few medals’

— Photo: S.S. Kumar

S. Pradeep Kumar.

CHENNAI: “We should win a few medals,” believes national coach S. Pradeep Kumar, working hard to get the Indian team well tuned for the Asian Age Group swimming competition (earlier called the Asia-Pacific meet) to be held in Jakarta from August 23.

Pradeep of course bases his optimism on the hope that most of the leading nations in the continent, like China, Korea, Japan and the like may not send their top swimmers, preserving them instead for next year’s Olympics. “We have selected the best swimmers, who have touched the third place mark in the previous meet and so expectations are high,” said Pradeep in a chat at the Velachery Pool where over 50 of the best of junior talent are currently undergoing training.

National coach since 2005, Pradeep had prepared the Indian contingent for the 2006 South Asian Games in Sri Lanka that dominated the show there.

This time he has the twin task of preparing the Indian contingent for the Asian meet first and then for the first edition of the South Asian Age group swimming championship to be held in Islamabad next month.

Eye on Olympic berths

Pradeep said apart from medals, atleast three leading juniors like Rehan Poncha, Sandeep Sejwal and Shika Tandon would also be hunting for Olympic berths in the FINA-recognised event in Jakarta. The only Indian so far to qualify for the Olympics is Veerdhawal Khade of Maharashtra (at the last World championship held in Melbourne earlier this year). “We had expected him to join us for this Jakarta meet but he has reported sick and that is a bit of a set back,” he said.

For the Islamabad meet, he said, the Swimming Federation of India decided not to send the leading juniors but those in the under-17 age category so that the competition becomes open and not a totally Indian dominated show. “The idea is also to ensure that this meet remains an important schedule in the swimming calendar in this region so that junior talents get good international exposure,” said Pradeep.

Lively picture

With talents from various parts of the country, the Velachery pool presents a lively picture of togetherness. From Tamil Nadu there are J. Agnishwar (who is in the team for Jakarta meet), R. Rishinder, K. Divakar, K. Mani, M.M. Venpa and C. Ayshwarya. Work in the gym, outdoor exercise and hectic swimming schedule form the daily routine and the young swimmers have been taking the load well. Pradeep had a word of praise for the wonderful facility, easily the best provided by a state government.

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