Indians can do with more exposure: FINA official

Even as the swimming test event for the Commonwealth Games ended on Thursday, FINA (International Swimming Federation) vice-president, Sam Ramaswamy, said Indian swimmers would continue to lag until they start participating in international events.

Even as the swimming test event for the Commonwealth Games ended on Thursday, FINA (International Swimming Federation) vice-president, Sam Ramaswamy, said Indian swimmers would continue to lag until they start participating in international events.

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Stressing on the need for more competition, Ramaswamy said, "There is a lack of training and competitions are not of a high calibre."

The South African, however, was optimistic. "Swimming is the only sport in which there have been no withdrawals (for the Commonwealth Games). All the top teams are participating," he said.

Ramaswamy conceded that construction activities and completion schedules have always been areas of concern for any international event. He cited the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2010 FIFA World Cup as examples. "We had concerns for the 2008 Beijing Olympics as well, though that was as the work was progressing too fast. We had to ask them to slow down," Ramaswamy said.

"But here, the construction companies have been misleading the Organising Committee about deadlines," he explained.

Results: 400m backstroke (men): MB Balakrishnan (TN, 58.50s), R Havaldar (Kar, 01:00:40), P Tokas (RSPB, 01:02:14); 100m backstroke (women): F Zaman (Karnataka, 01:09:46), H Davey (MP, 01:10:69), A Malik (Andhra, 01:12:62).