In an exclusive conversation with The Daily Guardian, India’s ace swimmer Srihari Nataraj shares his experiences and talks about how swimming as a sport can progress in the country. Excerpts from the interview:
Q. Where are you engaged currently, and what does your routine look like?
A. Presently, I am training in Dubai. Finally, very happy that I am in the waters along with other swimmers.
Q. Would you tell us about the turning point of you career?
A. Group 4 sub junior National individual championship at Indoor 2011, wherein I created a national record in 50 meters backstroke.
Q. What is the most cherished moment in your life?
A. When I Represented India in the commonwealth games 2018, Asian games 2018 and Youth Olympics 2018
Q. How can Indian swimming progress?
A. If Indian swimming has to progress and compete at international level, then both the government and the private sector should step in to invest in building infrastructure, training more coaches, introducing fitness regime among the swimmers, taking care of nutritional aspects of the swimmer. We need to introduce the sports science to swimmers. Moreover we must conduct international level swimming championships in India which are approved by FIMA. This will give an exposure to the swimmers.
Q. How are you currently contributing to the swimming?
A. Currently I am training more than 100 swimmers. I identify talented swimmers from all age groups and I work with them directly on daily basis to improve their swimming and fitness level.
Q. What do think, where will be swimming in the next five years from now?
A. At present swimming has not been a major sport in India. However, in the next five years, we will produce finishers in international competitions like Asian games, commonwealth games, world championship and Olympic Games.
Q. What would be your message to the swimmers?
A. My message to the swimming fraternity is that it is necessary to start early, have patience, work hard, and be regular and disciplined. Good results will follow.
Q. Whom do you give credit for your success?
A. I give credit of my success to my coaches, parents, support staff, senior swimmers and friends.
Q. How can Indian swimming progress?
A. Indian swimming can progress with participation of both government and private sectors in terms of funding. Building more state of art infrastructure. Bringing in professional coaching coupled with sports, science and fitness. Training, Nutritional guidance should be able to help our swimmers to compete at international level better.
Q. Have you seen any improvement in the swimming so far?
A. Currently, swimming as a competitive sports is attracting a number of young athlete across the country. Now a days, we see encouragement from many sectors. Athletes are getting jobs. Educational institutions are also encouraging good swimmers with scholarships and support. Government has started funding and supporting the elite swimmers. Private sector companies as a part of its corporate and social responsibilities are involved in training the large number of swimmers and sponsoring tournaments.
Q. How are you contributing currently to Indian swimming?
A. I am predominantly a backstroker specializing in 50, 100, 200 M backstroke events. I have been able to bridge the gap between international timing and Indian timing and take it closer to podium finishes. I see myself as a very mature at an International level and hopefully, I will put my efforts to win medals from international tournaments such as Asian Games, CWG, World Championships and Olympic Games.
Q. Tell us about some of your major achievements.
A. Some of my major accomplishments are as follows: 2 times junior national individual championship. Senior National Individual Championship 2017 3 Silver and 2 Bronze at 9th AASF Asian Age Group Championships 2017 Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Participated in the Commonwealth Games 2018 Gold Coast, Australia and finished 9th in the 50m Backstroke and 13th in the 100M Backstroke and Created 2 National Record Participated in Asian Games 2018 Jakarta, Indonesia and created 3 National Record in the 50,100 and 200 back respectively, Finished 6th in the 200 M backstroke and 7th in the 100M Backstroke in the finals.
Participated in the 3rd Youth Olympics 2018 Buenos Aires, Argentina and finished 6th in the 100M Backstroke in the finals, and became the first Indian to reach the finals of the youth Olympics in swimming from India.
The interviewer is an Assistant Professor at LSR, DU and a wellknown swimmer.