As many as 181 differently abled children such as physically handicapped, mentally challenged and those with hearing and vision impairment have successfully undergone training at a free swimming camp, which concluded here on Monday evening.
The camp was organised by Swimmers Club and Aquarius Swim Club, the registered Charitable Societies working for the development of the sport of swimming in and around the district for the past 30 years.
The swim clubs have specialised in training the differently abled children in the swimming sport and sent its students to national and international level competitions in the category since 2001. Swimmers from this first camp, Raghavendra Anvekar and Rajesh Shinde have won Eklavya awards. Three swimmers have won 10 Gold, 17 Silver and 13 Bronze medals at the International level while representing India. They have also bagged numerous National Level medals representing Karnataka.
During 14th camp, which was conducted for 21 days, free health check-up camps were held. The clubs also supplied free-swimming kits and arranged for the candidates’ transportation for the period of the camp and also provided them with food at the end of the training every day.
The camp was held in association with Rotary Club of Belgaum, Belgaum Royals Round Table – 205, LEAD, The Society for the Development of Disabled and Underprivileged and College of Business Administration at Lingaraj College.
The main purpose of these camps is to build up confidence in these children to face the challenges before them. “By teaching them to swim we try to develop their confidence to face the various hurdles that life throws before them,” said event director and swimming coach Umesh Kalaghatagi.
He said 107 boys and 74 girls were trained at the camp held at Rotary Corporation Swimming Pool in the city this year. The trainees included mentally retarded, blind, physically handicapped, deaf and dumb and those belonging to the underprivileged sections such as child labourers, tribal children and orphans.
