Budding swimmers displayed their talent to book their berth for Junior and Sub-junior National Aquatic Championship 2015, to be organised at Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Swimming Pool, Pune, from July 13 to 19 by Maharashtra State Amateur Aquatic Association under the aegis of Swimming Federation of India.
In line with the upcoming event, the selection trail of young swimming talent from East Singbhum was held at D.P. International Swimming Academy. In this trail 90 players participated in different level and several has been selected for State level Swimming Competition which will be held on Ranchi in the month of June.
Former army man and chairman of Jharkhand Swimming Association, Rambalak Singh who won a water polo silver at the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok and the man behind the international swimming academy, has grand plans for the academy. “I plan to make it a residential swimming hostel (50-bed) serving to talented swimmers of the state within six months. The lanes are of international swimming federation specifications and can host international and national competitions,” said Rambalak Singh who also donned national jersey at the 1974 (Tehran) and 1982 (New Delhi) Asian Games.
The 10 lanes at the swimming academy built on three bighas of land are 25 m x 25 m (length and breadth) and a depth ranging between 3ft to 7 ft. The entire infrastructure was built at a cost exceeding Rs 2.5 crore in a span of two years. There are separate changing rooms for boys and girls. Two NIS diploma holder coach and four lifeguards are catering to nearly 200 swimmers (mostly from Jamshedpur) receiving training at the stadium. The owners of the academy also have plans to organise talent hunt for swimmers in each districts of the state and keep them at the academy.