Swadesh Mondal dreams of swimming in Tokyo Olympics

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Kolkata, July 11: It was a couple of months back when he could not even dream of swimming in a modern pool. He used to live in a place named Champahati in South 24 Parganas. In the remote village of Champahati, like all other boys and girls, he also used to swim in a muddy pond.

The water was too heavy. He used to push the mud, accumulated under the water and then went back home, walking almost two-and-half kilometers every day.

He is Swadesh Mondal. The student of eighth standard in New Delhi Sports Authority of India (SAI) affiliated school has recently placed himself as a new kid on the block in the country's swimming fraternity after having three gold medals in the recently concluded sub-junior national championship.

Swadesh said from New Delhi over phone on Monday, “Still sometimes I feel that is it true? That I have come to SAI New Delhi and staying here under the tutelage of experienced coaches and training hard in both morning and evening along with spending time in the ultra-modern gym of SAI?"

Swadesh was initially selected to stay at the SAI Kolkata. But his father rejected the offer and waited for second offer. Then after Swadesh impressed the SAI coaches at a trial he was asked to go to New Delhi.

His father who works on a daily basis earning on other's farming field, said, “I knew that Kolkata SAI does not have the upgraded facility as SAI in Delhi has. More importantly, the swimming pool at Delhi SAI is of international standard."

"The coaches are also more experienced there. That is why I choose to send my son to Delhi."

Swadesh after winning three gold medals in the sub-junior national championship, now dreams of donning India shirts in the Tokyo Olympics.

He added, “I have two dreams. One is to represent India in the Tokyo Olympics. The second one is to get a government job so that I can reform my small hut and ask father to stop working every day."

OneIndia News