With three medals adorning his neck, young swimmer S. Nithya Anand personified joy.
A class 9 student of Campion Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, he won silver medals (under-14 age category) in the 50 metres, 100 metres, and 200 metres breaststroke events in the 40th junior national aquatic championship held in Hyderabad. “I aimed for gold; I’m still happy as these are my first medals at a national championship,” said Anand.
He has been training under B. Sathish Kumar at Anna Stadium swimming pool for nearly six years. “Anand has won medals in three of the four events he competed at the national championship which is really appreciable. He is a hard worker and quick learner and has it in him to make it big,” said Mr. Kumar.
Two more of his trainees — V. Leonard and R. Harish — have won medals in the 30th sub-junior national aquatic championship held in Goa.
The two were part of the Tamil Nadu 4x50 metres medley relay team that bagged bronze. Leonard is a class 5 student of Orchard Matriculation School and Harish, a class 6 student of Alpha Wisdom Vidhyashram. “The medals have done them a world of good,” Mr. Sathish said.