KATHMANDU, Nov 4: Imagine swimming for two hours every evening in a cold swimming pool. A chill is likely to run down your spine, but that´s exactly how the national swimmers are being trained for the South Asian Games (SAG).
Bibidha Rimal, national record holder of three events, caught cold on Monday and was unable to attend the training session on Tuesday and Wednesday. She also complained pain on joints. “I will attend the training from Thursday,” said Rimal. “After training, our body takes a long time to get warm,” she added, while warming her body in the sun.
Osin Bharati also missed the training for a couple of days due to cold water in the pool, while other swimmers have found it difficult to continue the training session. Though the 11th SAG is merely 70 days away, the swimmers have hardly been able to concentrate during the training sessions.
“How can we hope for medals with such poor facilities,” Prasiddha Jung Shah said. “The training hours have been decreasing with increasing cold.” He, however, said that good training would definitely improve their performance. He also said that the players were even unable to meet their own timing due to the freezing cold water in the pool.
“We have more than two months and if we get good facilities, we will definitely give opponents a good run for their money. But, improved facilities at the eleventh hour will be of no help to us,” added Shah.
Altogether six South Asian countries will vie in swimming for 17 gold medals, including six in women´s category. Ten Nepali swimmers -- Karishma Karki, Shaila Rana, Bibidha Rimal, Shreya Dhital and Osin Bharati in women´s category and Sailesh Rana, Prasiddha Jung Shah, Pushpa Raj Shahi, Chandra Singh Mahato and Banin Sensha Shrestha -- will represent Nepal.
Coaches were also low on morale. “A heating pool is a minimum requirement for good performance,” said Ishwar Karki, the head coach. According to Karki, only the Le Meridien of the Gokarna Golf Resort has a swimming pool with the heating system. “But we cannot afford to pay their high fees,” Karki added. It costs Rs 1200 for a single dive in the Le Meridien heating system swimming pool.
“We have drawn attention of the National Sports Council to this problem and sent them a letter today,” Karki said. “If the players could only get sauna, they could at least keep their bodies warm after training.”
NSC is thinking of negotiating with La Meridian for the use of swimming pool. “We will discuss with the association about what support we can extend,” Parthasarathi Sen Gupta, the director of NSC Training Department, said. “We cannot pay La Meridian but we will request them to support us.”
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I guess we cannot expect medals from these pity conditions the players have to practice in. How can our players compete with countries who have much better facilities than ours?
One option would be to take the team to warmer areas like Birgunj, which has an international level swimming pool.
The Sports Council of Nepal is a useless body, a place for political appointment and politics.
Coaches were also low on morale. “A heating pool is a minimum requirement for good performance,” said Ishwar Karki, the head coach. According to Karki, only the Le Meridien of the Gokarna Golf Resort has a swimming pool with the heating system. “But we cannot afford to pay their high fees,” Karki added. It costs Rs 1200 for a single dive in the Le Meridien heating system swimming pool.
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