Thiruvananthapuram: Olympic Games was a rude awakening for Nisha Millet. Though it was her childhood dream to participate in an Olympics, it made Nisha realise the hard truth that Indian swimming had a long way to go to catch up with rest of the world.
“Even before the Olympics I realised we were far behind the rest of the world when I went to Australia on a scholarship. I was there for three months competing and training as I was trying to qualify for the Olympics. I realised that the training methods which we followed back home were archaic. In Australia, swimmers were backed by scientific training. And there was an entourage of nutritionist, dietician, masseur and physical trainer helping each swimmer. I benefited from the training and qualified for the Olympics,” she said.
The Arjuna awardee felt Indians should train and compete abroad regularly to make a mark at the world level. “There is enough talent here. But after a certain stage you have to train and compete regularly with stronger rivals to become a world class swimmer. I can tell from my experience in Australia. I was surprised with the sheer number of competitions there. There are meets which offer prize money as well.”
“USA and Australia are so ahead of us in terms of scientific coaching and I think our swimmers will benefit a lot from training in these countries. Of course it is easier said than done. You need sponsorship. But things have improved on that front compared to when I was swimming. There are foundations like Olympic Gold Quest, which is sponsoring promising sportspersons in India,” Nisha said.
On her career: “I am happy with all I have achieved. But Sydney Olympics is definitely the high point of my career. As a child I had dreamt of participating in the Olympics. I was sad when I couldn’t make it to Atlanta. The sheer atmosphere of the Olympic Village still gives me goose pimples. I still remember how we celebrated when Karnam Malleswari won the weightlifting bronze. Those are good memories which will stay with me for ever.”
On retirement: Nisha quit swimming when she came to know that it was putting a heavy burden on her father financially. “Back then there was hardly any sponsorship in swimming and my dad was financing me and he was finding it difficult. He made a lot of sacrifices and even relocated from Chennai to Bengaluru. After missing out on the qualification for the 2004 Olympics, I had to make a choice and I decided to quit,” she said.
On Indian swimming: Nisha, who runs an academy in Bengaluru, says the rate of attrition among girls is higher in India. “I have noticed that girls quit competitive swimming to concentrate on their studies once they finish school. Very few go on to pursue swimming after they join college. I guess unlike boys, girls don’t have many role models to look up to in India. Boys have heroes like Virdhawal Khade and Sandeep Sejwal, who won bronze medals at the Asian Games.”
