80 swimmers training at Yemmekere pool for State and national events

Elite swimmers from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi are training at Yemmekere International Swimming Pool for state and national events.

Around 80 swimmers from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and other parts of country are training for the State and national swimming events at the newly opened Yemmekere International Swimming pool, in Mangaluru, which was built by Mangaluru Smart City Limited.

Naveen Padil, director of We One Aqua Centre, which bagged the tender from MSCL to run the pool, told reporters that these swimmers were being given ‘high performance’ training since March. “The government wants native swimmers use this international-level facility to make a name in national and international swimming events. The high performance training is part of this exercise,” Mr. Padil said.

In addition to coaches of the Centre, coaches from Basavanagudi Aquatic Club, Bengaluru, were involved in training of swimmers. Two coaches from Sports Authority of India will shortly join in coaching the young swimmers at Yemmekere pool, Mr. Padil said.

V. Nataraj , coach from Basavanagudi Aquatic Club said they were presently training 50 swimmers in the senior category and 30 from junior category. The three-hour-long training session was being held between 5.30 a.m. to 8.30 a..m and between 4.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. every day, Seven trainees, including two from Mangaluru, will take part in the national Khelo India meet to be held between May 5 and 9. Two trainees will take part in a senior aquatic meet to be held between May 21 to May 23. As many as 50 trainees will take part in the state mock aquatic meet, which will be held between May 28 and 31, Mr. Nataraj said.

Lokraj Vitla, the head coach of the We One Aqua Centre, said the centre has been holding summer camps at the Yemmekere pool and St. Aloysius pool where swimming talent are identified. Basic levels of training were being provided at the St. Aloysius pool. As many as 100 students were presently undergoing basic level training. The advance level training for national level events, for which students went to Bengaluru, was now available at the Yemmekere pool, Mr. Vitla said.