CAN INDIAN SWIMMERS MAKE A SPLASH AT BEIJING?

Virdhawal Vikram Khade may be the fastest swimmer in the world under the age of 15, but the sport is languishing here in India.

Search for Virdhawal Vikram Khade on Google and the first result that pops up says that he is the fastest swimmer in the world under the age of 15. It takes more than a moment to register that this 15-year-old Indian boy could be the fastest in the world. But as that moment of shock or surprise, depending on how you reacted, passes by, reality sets in. The time which Khade has set is better than any other 15-year-old in the world. While Khade seems to be the next big thing in Indian swimming, or rather the thing, the state of swimming as a sport has been at an all-time low the last few decades.

There have been occasional glimpses that seemed to indicate that India was doing well in the sport but overall the picture hasn't been that pretty. According to Manisha Malhotra, administrator, Mittal's Champions Trust, who has initiated talks with Khade to sign him on and support him, the problem lies in not having a concrete plan for developing the sport. "No development is being done at the grassroot level to support upcoming talent. You need to start early with swimmers," she adds.

Unlike other sports, swimming is one sport where one starts early and then it all depends on how hard you train professionally. Though, according to Nisha Millet, former Olympian swimmer, starting early is a double-edged sword. Millet, who was once touted as a prodigy in Indian swimming and went on to achieve great heights at both the national and international levels, feels that a lot of kids do have the talent but by the time they turn 17 or 18, they tend to fade away. "This is due to lack of motivation. After all, how long can you take of not doing well?" Agrees Malhotra,

"It's not a high revenue sport like tennis or shooting and parents want their kids to have a secure future. Unfortunately swimming is not a viable career."

But coach Nihar Ameen, who had coached Millet in the past and is now training Khade as well, feels that the going is not that bad and is optimistic. "We might not be doing that well in the sport at the moment but youngsters are coming in who can do well," he says. Although Khade seems to be the big hope for Indian swimming, there are quite a few others who have been trying to make a mark on the national as well as international scene. Rehan Poncha and Arjun Paseria seems to be two other swimmers who have been doing well nationally, although they are yet to put their stamp on the international level. In the women's category, Shikha Tandon is one swimmer who has been doing well, says Ameen, and has a lot of potential.

The problem, according to Ameen, lies in the fact that there is no long-term vision. "While other countries try to compete with the global standards, we at times are content with decent showings at the South Asian level." The other part being the lack of numbers at the national level as well. Ameen points out that in China there are about 6.5 lakh swimmers, in US the number is close to 4.5 lakh, whereas in India it is just a few thousands. "The more milk you have the more cream you will get," he says.

Millet, who retired from professional swimming last year, has been busy organising coaching camps in Bangalore and is happy with the kind of talent that is coming in. But what about the current crop?

"Even if we don't expect a medal at Beijing, we should keep on looking toward the future," she adds. The base is there and all that is needed is long-term planning on the part of the swimmers as well as the swimming federation.

But as of now, all hopes are pinned on Khade. And Ameen too has high hopes from his latest prodigy. "Vikram is one of the finest talent that I have seen in the last few years. He needs to keep working and train harder to achieve his goals." Can we expect a medal at Bejing? "I think that would put unnecessary pressure on the kid, but yes, I do expect a good showing from him." Probably the next Olympics could be more of a realistic target, considering Khade would turn 16 next summer.

Malhotra, meanwhile, says that she has held talks with a lot of foreign coaches and the common opinion seems to be that while emphasis on training is necessary, there are other important aspects as well that need to be looked into. "The fitness levels of our swimmers are extremely poor but that is due to our genetically not being as strong as other countries." Things don't look too bright at the moment but as is the case with quite a few other Indian sports, hope floats.