Aquatic Nationals in Goa from tomorrow

Panaji, Jun 20 (UNI) The stage is all set for the 24th sub- Junior National Aquatic championship for boys and girls organised by Goa Swimming Association under the auspices of Swimming Federation of India (SFI), which will get underway from June 21 to 24 at two different venues at Campal in North Goa and Fatorda in South Goa.

About 560 participants from the 27 units affiliated to the Swimming Federation of India which includes overall champions Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal, which are the top contenders will vie for top honours in the four day event. Among the 560 participants 130 are divers and 430 swimmers.

The swimming events will be held at Fatorda swimming pool and the diving will be held at sport authority swimming pool at Campal.

Goa Swimming Association, Secretary Sudesh Nagvenkar told UNI ''out of the 13 teams expected today, Maharashtra, Kerala, Chattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh have already arrived in the morning.'' The promising swimmers Ishan Kulkarni, Rujuta Bhatt, Saurav Sangvekar from Maharashtra, Artha Magavi, Abhinav S from Karnataka, Swami Mandal from West Bengal will be seen in action. While Rutika Shiram, Prithviraj, Poonam Shah, Jagruti Satarkar are expected to put up a good show in the diving events.

Goa's medals hopes will be from Sushmeeta Vasta, who had bagged three silver medals in the last nationals held in Bangalore in 2006.

Chief Referee Mayur Vyas will be officiating the diving events while International FINA approved Referee Kamlesh Nanavati will be at the helm of affairs on the technical side.

UNI