Lean and petite, she fidgets around restively even as her father attempts to calm her down while taking out the medals and certificates from his bag. Eight-year-old P.S. Kayal of Lawspet in Puducherry has just returned from Pune after bagging a gold medal in the 8th Modern Pentathlon National Championship – 2017.
A Class IV student of a private school in The Study school at Kalapet, she started to learn swimming from the age of six at the swimming pool on the school campus. Her interest to swim grew within few days of coaching and has never quit her classes.
Regular coaching
Her mother Savoundary, who works as a teacher in the same school, says, “She loves to swim and the school coach trains her from 2.30 p.m. to 4 p.m. every day. The coach suggested that she get trained at the Pondicherry Swimming Centre. She goes there for four days in a week after school hours.”
Kayal’s perseverance and regular practice has fetched accolades in every competition she has participated in. She has won the first prize in 200 metres individual medley in the Fourth Pondicherry State Aquatic Championship, came first in 100 metres individual medley in Mammen Cherian Memorial Pondicherry Inter School Swimming Competition and bagged the first prize in 50 metres free style, breaststroke and butterfly stroke in inter-school swimming competition organised by the Youth Hostel Association of India.
K. Prabhu, her father, who works as a production executive in Chemplast Sanmar Limited in SIPCOT, says, “After Kayal won gold medal at the state-level Biathle Meet organised by the Puducherry Modern Pentathlon Association, she was selected for the Eighth Modern Pentathlon National Championship 2017 in Pune. When we went there, she started crying looking at the 30 other participants. But, once she jumped into the pool, she forgot all her fears and emerged a winner.”
In the competition, the participants had to run 200 metres and swim 50 metres.
Kayal, shyly adds, “I saw a girl running ahead of me but after I came out of the pool I wore my shoes and ran faster than her. That is how I won.”
Also passionate in art work, she talks a little about her friends in the classroom. “I have nine best friends in school,” she says, adding that one day she wants to participate in the Olympics.
With the Puducherry government yet to build a swimming pool, many young talents like Kayal are waiting to be trained to compete at the national and international level.
