It was at the eleventh hour that two Indian swimmers – Shrihari Nataraj and 14-year-old Dhinidhi Desinghu – made the cut to the Paris Olympics, thanks to the universality quota.
The latter is the youngest in the Indian contingent heading to Paris and will compete in the women’s 200m freestyle event.
For Nataraj, this will be a second Olympics outing, with the first coming at Tokyo.
Going into an event as monumental as the Olympics, preparation is paramount. And although anything can happen on the day of the competition, it is imperative that the athletes are nurtured, just so they give it their best shot.
Indian swimming has always been found wanting on the international stage and a big factor is the lack of distinguished coaches.
Of the few elite coaches present in the country, Nihar Ameen stands out.
Currently running the Dolphin Academy at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bangalore, Ameen is a recipient of the prestigious Dronacharya Award in 2015 and has coached elite swimmers at the highest levels of the sport.
Speaking to The Bridge, Ameen spoke of his longevity in the sport and the change needed for its development.
“I have been involved in competitive swimming for nearly four decades, 44 years and counting to be precise,” said Ameen while recalling that his entry into the coaching arena was was one out of compulsion and owing to the lack of coaches for his sister.
“The reason for me to ever get involved in competitive swimming was my sister Shanaz Shacoor, a national champion and the youngest swimmer at the 1982 Asian Games,” he recalled.
Having taken to coaching like fish to water, Ameen has been at it ever since.
Change in grassroots
According to Ameen, the sport is currently witnessing an uptick and there have been several positives over the years.
“The biggest change I have noticed is in the grassroots. We now have various systems in place which are professional, and also have dedicated swim teachers, something we did not have before,” he said.
“Before it used to be just lifeguards, but they lacked motivation and were part timers mostly. Swim teachers, on the other hand, know how to write swim lessons, deal with children, their parents and take them step by step, something that was not there before. So, things are definitely looking up,” he added.
Good coaches make great athletes and that is true across the board for any sport.
While multiple reasons keep Indian swimmers from attaining podium finishes at world meets, prominent amongst then is the paucity of coaches and the lack of internationally acclaimed training facilities.
Ameen echoed the sentiment saying that ‘a coach’s education is a huge issue right now’.
“It applies across the board to all the sports our country. We really need to step up coach education and see to that our coaches are able to deliver as well as any other coach from anywhere in the world. Only then will we see results,” he said.
Need for more competitive swimmers
Although swimming as a sport has been around for many years in India, the number of competitive swimmers is too low for the country to make a mark on the global stage.
“I doubt we have more than 20,000 competitive swimmers in this country, which is nowhere in comparison to the United States or China, who have over 700,000 competitive swimmers. Even countries like Australia have about 200,000 competitive swimmers. We need to have numbers like that to see a change,” Ameen said.
A catalyst is need to galvanize the masses and according to Ameen, Indian swimming needs a watershed moment to usher growth in the sport.
“We did have something close to that in the 2010 when Virdhawal Khade won a medal (bronze in 50m butterfly) in the Asian Games. Similarly, in 2014 it was Sandeep Sejwal (bronze in 50m breaststroke), but we are still waiting for the big watershed moment”.
That said, Ameen is optimistic about the trajectory of swimming in the country.
“There have been strong efforts being made by the swimming federation with coach education and systemizing things. We are really looking forward to the future,” he asserted.
Optimism towards Paris-bound swimmers
Under Ameen’s tutelage, Shika Tandon (2004, Athens), Virdhawal Khade and Sandeep Sejwal (2008, Beijing) have represented the country at the Olympics.
Speaking about the two swimmers from India heading to Paris, Ameen expressed optimism.
“I am hopeful that he (Srihari) will give his best there because he has been swimming very well right now”.
As for Dhinidhi, Ameen said that the Paris outing will transform her.
“It will be a great exposure for Dhinidhi, at the Olympics. She has already been at the Asian Games. She deserves to be there and once this is done, she will not be intimidated by any other competition, that is for sure”.
Exposure is vital and as per the legendary coach, the two swimmers competing at Paris will keep the sport afloat in the country.
“The best male and the best female swimmers of the country need to be sent to the Olympics and that’s exactly what has happened. It is a fair selection, we are happy about it, and this is a great platform for them,” Ameen concluded.