Paralympic swimmers prove mettle at state championship

Hailing from Dehradun, Pithoragarh, Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar and Almora districts, the paralympic (persons with disabilities) swimmers made a splash in the pools as they competed in various categories, including 25m and 50m freestyle and 50m breast stroke, at the Shree Sports Academy.

DEHRADUN: It was a memorable day for 18 swimmers who gathered from different parts of the state in Dehradun on Tuesday to participate in the first Uttarakhand State Paralympic Swimming Championship 2017.

Swimmers participate in an event during the 1st Uttarakhand State Paralympic Swimming Championship in Dehradun on Tuesday. (Vinay Santosh Kumar/HT)

Hailing from Dehradun, Pithoragarh, Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar and Almora districts, the paralympic (persons with disabilities) swimmers made a splash in the pools as they competed in various categories, including 25m and 50m freestyle and 50m breast stroke, at the Shree Sports Academy.

The one-day sporting event was hosted by the Paralympic Association of Uttarakhand.

“They (participants) were excited to take part in the championship not only because they got a platform to prove their sporting prowess but also because they felt more motivated on seeing their fellow swimmers,” said Prem Kumar, ace paralympic athlete and secretary of the Paralympic Association of Uttarakhand. “There is a tremendous scope for paralympic games at national and international levels.”

The shortlisted participants will be sent to a national-level paralympic swimming championship in Rajasthan next month.

“I grew up swimming in the hill streams but never knew that any such competition (for persons with disability) existed...there is hardly any awareness about the paralympic sports in the hills,” said Bhuwan Gunwant, a double amputee from Nainital.

“The government should come forward to help and encourage paralympic sportspersons,” said Manoj Joshi, another participant from Pithoragarh.