C'Wealth Games disappointment is behind us

After a mediocre show at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi last month where the 26-member swim team sank without a trace, the Indian team is hopeful of a respectable show at the Asian Games.

A medal at the Asian Games still remains an unfulfilled dream since Khazan Singh’s silver medal at the 1986 Seoul Games.

However, the team is banking on young guns Virdhawal Khade, Sandeep Sejwal, Aaron D’Souza and Rehan Poncha who may well break the jinx. The swimmers came up with commendable performances at the previous Asian Swimming Championship in Foshan, China last year.

And going by the current crop for the Games for which the Swimming Federation of India decided to pick just nine swimmers who make the top six timing of the previous Games, a 24-year wait could draw to an end at Guangzhou.

“We have left the CWG performance behind us. Asian Games has always been a major meet for us and our swimmers have been doing well at the Asian level in the past two years,” said chief coach Pradeep Kumar on Monday before the team left for Guangzhou.

The team’s preparation for the CWG was always questionable. Until early this year, the swimmers who followed a systematic schedule were in good form. The record books swelled with best Indian performances in 2009.

But apart from Sandeep Sejwal, Virdhawal Khade, who swam at the French Open, and Aaron D’Souza who swam at the Youth Olympics, no swimmer on the team had participated at a major international meet prior to the CWG.

For the record, all these swimmers had clocked better timings in many international competitions, albeit with the help of high-tech swimsuits, making it all the more important for them to get international exposure.

“Our preparations could have been a lot better. But there is no point in complaining about anything now. Asian Games will not have swimmers from Australia or England but the hosts are fielding a strong team. Hopefully I make the medal bracket
in my main events,” said Sandeep Sejwal.

Team: Sandeep Sejwal, Rehan Poncha, Virdhawal Khade, Aaron Agnel D’Souza, Rohit Havaldar, Arjun JP, Mandar Divase, Balakrishnan MB, Anshul Kothari