The 2014 Asian games Bronze medalist and National Record-holder in 50m, 100m and 200m Breaststroke events, Sandeep Sejwal is eyeing to improve his previous performance in the Jakarta Asian Games scheduled from August 18 to September 2 this year.
Sejwal who finished at the podium in the Incheon games in 2014 and is training hard for the Asiad, said that instead of thinking about results, he is focusing on swimming faster.
"The last Asian Games medal has given me a lot of confidence and I know who all I will be competing against so I am fully prepared for the competition. Winning or losing is not within my control. I am more focused on swimming faster than last time."
Talking about how he prepares for big events like the Asiad where athletes are burdened with a lot of pressure for winning medals, Sejwal said that he does not think much about winning because that only worsens the pressure.
"I don't like to think about winning medals because it adds a lot of unnecessary mental pressure which directly affects the performance. Racing with a free mind is the best way to go" he said.
"These big competitions come once in four years. We keep trying different combinations to see what works for us and then head to the final preparation stage with the best possible combination."
The 29-year-old swimmer, who qualified for the 2012 london Olympics after finishing 1:02.92s in the 100m breaststroke event at the 14th FINA World Championships, Shanghai, trains for six to seven hours a day to keep fit.
"We train for roughly seven hours a day with two sessions of swimming and one session of gym or dry-land exercise. As we move closer to a competition, we reduce the training load to almost half," the Senior National Champion said.
Sejwal has been training in Bangalore under Dronacharya Award winner Nihar Ameen, who had assisted Jack Nelson, the national team coach of USA.
Speaking on the future of swimming as a sport in India, Sejwal heaped praise on upcoming swimmers and said that with a bit more exposure in the international arena, the sport can grow faster in India.
"Young Indian swimmers have been doing great. With a little more exposure at the international level, swimming can grow a lot faster. Also, there is a lot of involvement of private sector in swimming now, with good support for top swimmers in the country. This has motivated a lot of young swimmers to excel," he added.