Come summer, all swimming pools in the city witness a plunging spree, especially by the exam-weary children of all ages.
The three pools in the city that are managed by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation – located at Gandhinagar, Gurunanak Colony and K.L. Rao Nagar – are the favourite destinations of hundreds of people, who are desperate to beat the heat and also the boredom.
But what is bugging the coaches is the lack of interest showed by these youngsters in taking up swimming as a serious sport.
“Once schools and colleges re-open, they desert the pools for academics. All the hard work goes waste, as we are unable to retain the best of the talent to bring laurels to the district and the State,” laments Raghavendra, in charge of the Gurunanak Colony pool.
According to coaches, the response this year, compared to last year, was overwhelming and the all three pools were agog with hectic activities.
Precautions
“At Gandhinagar, we have around 500 members and five coaches are imparting the nuances. We are taking all precautions for the secure stay of the trainees in the pool. We are recycling the water every day by chlorinating it and also keeping a vigil on youngsters,” says Maliyadhri, coach at Gandhinagar's Sir Vizzi Swimming pool.
Mr. Raghavendra points out that it is mandatory for the swimmers to take a bath before and after swimming. “Swimmers should trim their nails and we will not allow those suffering from skin diseases to enter the pool. Cleanliness is important,” he makes clear.
Swimming as a fitness activity is fast catching up among senior citizens as well, and the pools too have a separate timing for them. “Residents of localities like Commercial Taxes Colony, Kanakadurga Gazetted Officers Colony and Bank Colony are the regulars at this pool (Gurunanak Colony). We have 302 members enrolled for the camp this summer as compared to 185 last year,” Mr. Raghavendra says.
Best facility
Gandhinagar swimming pool is one of the best in South India as the complex has a pool of Olympic standard (50 metres), a 25-metre pool and a baby pool. It has also produced many national-level swimmers.
