Odisha: Kalinga Super Swimming Series aims to nurture young talent in state

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], May 7 : In an exciting endeavour to promote swimming in the state and identify exceptional talent, the Department of Sports Government of Odisha in collaboration with Kalinga Aquatic Club and JSW Sports has initiated the Kalinga Super Swimming Series for young swimmers of the State.

Over the course of five months, a series of competitions will be held, providing a platform for swimmers in Odisha to showcase their skills and potential.

In this series, swimmers can participate and demonstrate their skills in different swimming categories.

The primary objective of the Kalinga Super Swimming Series is to provide a platform for swimmers across Odisha to compete in tournament simulations and showcase their potential. By orgzing this series, the Sports and Youth Services Department and JSW Sports aim to unearth hidden talent and nurture it to its full potential.

Sandeep Sejwal, Head Coach, Odisha JSW Swimming High-Performance Centre spoke on the significance of the initiative.

He said, "This is part of a series of key initiatives that are in place to identify talent in Odisha. In the last few months, we have scouted over 34 swimmers with promising potential and have inducted them into the Swimming HPC program."

He further commended the Government of Odisha for its support towards the sport of swimming in the state and the importance of infrastructure and accessibility, he said, "The state has empowered swimmers with great infrastructure both at the state and district level. Our partnership ensures quality training under expert coaches. We are running a grassroots program across 13 swimming pools in the state, and we will continue to grow. Accessibility of competition and infrastructure is a crucial part of identifying champions and that is why we will also be hosting a few Kalinga Swim Series in Sambalpur, Rourkela and maybe even Puri."

At today's event at the Biju Patnaik Swimming Pool at the Kalinga Stadium, there were over 200 participants across 18 events. Categories included 400 m freestyle, 50/100 m breaststroke and 100 m butterfly.

Ansika Sahoo won two gold; one each in 100 m breaststroke and 400 m freestyle.

Mannata Mishra bagged one gold in 100 m breaststroke.

Bikash Haripal won gold in the 400 m freestyle.

Pawan Gupta won one Gold in 100 m breaststroke. All of them are swimmers of the High-Performance Centre.

The recent triumph of the trainees from the Odisha JSW Swimming High-Performance Centre at the Thailand Age Swimming Competition serves as a testament to the potential and capabilities of Odisha's swimmers.

Their success has created a sense of excitement and anticipation for the Kalinga Swimming Fest, with high hopes for discovering more exceptional athletes who can carry the state's name to greater heights in the realm of swimming.

With the support of such initiatives, Odisha is primed to emerge as a powerhouse in the world of swimming, and the Kalinga Swimming Series serves as a beacon of hope for the future of the sport in the region.