Following the national championships, Para Swimming chairman VK Dabas predicted 12-14 medals at the Asian Para Games

On March 28, the 21st National Para-Swimming Championship, conducted by Narayan Seva Sansthan in collaboration with the Paralympic Committee of India, came to a close. Gulab Chand Kataria and Raghuveer Singh Meena opened the event, which was followed by multiple-Paralympic medalist Devendra Jhajharia and Tokyo Paralympic gold medallist Krishna Nagar. Over 400 paralympic swimmers from across the country competed in this tournament.

Speaking exclusively to the Hindustan Times about the event, VK Dabas, chairman of Para Swimming (Paralympic Committee of India), was happy with the turnout and stated that it was an improvement from last year’s tournament, when Covid-19 forced a lesser participation. Dabas also stated that they are working to increase involvement from lower-tier cities and towns.

“We saw over 400 participants across different categories in the championships this year. Last year (national championship in Bengaluru), the participation was less due to Covid-19 situation, but usually, we have numbers in surplus of 400 every time we organize the championships,” Dabas told Hindustan Times. “A large number of these players are coming from cities. We are raising awareness across the lower-tier cities and villages as well. Once we reach there, I believe we will have a lot more players in the championships.”

‘We expect 12-14 medals at the Asian Para Games.’

The National Championships also functioned as a qualifying event for the Asian Para Games, which will be held in Hangzhou, China, from October 9 to 15, this year. India earned 8 medals in para-swimming in the last edition of the event, and Dabas expects the country to break double figures in the upcoming edition.

“I anticipate 12-14 medals at the Asian Para Games.” The qualification dates and times are yet to be published. “However, once they are announced, I believe we can anticipate more than 30 para-swimmers to qualify,” Dabas remarked.

Following India’s spectacular performance in the Paralympics, Dabas expanded on his support for para-sports. While the Para Swimming (PCI) chairman stated that frequent national camps are necessary for India to improve their Paralympic achievements, Dabas underlined that national championships are unquestionably beneficial in India “unearthing new potential.”

“Organising the national camps every year is very essential for that (medals at Paralympics). When the Asian Para Games took place in 2018, we had a national camp. Yes, we organize the national championships every year but regular national camps are important. Things are definitely looking up, though. We are unearthing new talents every year,” said Dabas.

“The last year’s Paralympic Games did a very good job at raising awareness about para-sports. The government’s support has been very important and they take a very keen interest in the welfare of our para-athletes. I was there during the Paralympics in Tokyo last year and I saw PM Narendra Modi personally wishing the players after they had won medals. That sort of encouragement is very important.

“I have also seen how other big countries like the US prepare for these events. They are very professional in their approach. They have experts to cater to athletes’ all needs, like masseurs and physios, among many other individuals. The game is evolving a lot as well; there is a relentless use of data and analytics in para-swimming too. This is where we want to improve.”