India ki ace swimmer Srihari Nataraj next year hone wale Commonwealth aur Asian Games me dhamaka karne ke liye taiyaar dikh rahe hain. Khelo India University Games me unhone jabardast perform karte huye 9 gold medals jeet kar sabko hairan kar diya, jabki wo apni best form ke kareeb bhi nahi the. Multiple national record holder, 24 saal ke Bengaluru ke swimmer ne yahan total 11 medals (9 gold aur 2 silver) jeete aur Jain University ko 27 gold sahit 45 medals dilane me help ki. Nataraj ka excellent performance dekhne ko mila, kyunki haal hi me Ahmedabad me Asian Aquatics Championships me 7 medals ke saath apna session end karne wale iss young swimmer ne pool me khud par jada jor nahi dala, lekin phir bhi wo kai competitors se kaafi aage rahe.
Swimmer ne kaha ki unhe Japan ke Aichi-Nagoya me hone wale Asian Games aur next year Glasgow me hone wale Commonwealth Games me achha perform karne ka poora bharosa hai.
“Asian Games ke waqt meri age 25 saal hogi aur yeh wo age hoti hai jab aam taur par swimmer apne peak par hote hain. Ab mujhe apni swimming aur apne body ke baare me kaafi achhi samajh ho chuki hai, aur mujhe poora bharosa hai ki main wahan medal jeet sakta hun,” Nataraj ne KIUG release me kaha.
Asian Championships aur KIUG me shandaar performance ke baad Nataraj ne kaha ki unhe ummeed hai ki unhe Target Asian Games Group (TAGG) me shamil kiya jayega. Yeh yojana sarkar dwara Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) ki lines par start ki gayi hai.
“2018 me first Khelo India Games ke baad mujhe TOPS ke liye chuna gaya tha aur wahan se jo support mujhe mila, usne mere career me bada badlav la diya,” Nataraj ne kaha, jo 2020 Tokyo aur 2024 Paris Olympics me country ko represent kar chuke hain.
Halanki, Paris Olympics me khaas prabhavshali perform na kar paane ke baad, jahan wo 100m backstroke event ke heats me hi bahar ho gaye the, unhe TOPS Core Group se hata diya gaya.
TAGG (Target Asian Games Group) ki sthapna last year Asian Games me medal jeetne wale prospects ko jada focused support dene ke liye ki gayi thi. Asian Aquatics Championship me shandaar performance ke baad Nataraj ko lagta hai ki unke paas ab TAGG me jagah banane ka achha mauka hai.
“Asian Championships me mere 7 medals haul ke saath mujhe ummeed hai ki TAGG ke tahat Asian Games ke liye mujhe support milega. Mujhe lagta hai ki swimming me Asian Games medal ke sabse kareeb sirf main aur Sajan (Prakash) hi hain, aur yeh mere liye Asian Games medal jeetne ka best mauka hai,” unhone aage kaha.
Unhone kaha ki KIUG ek behad shandaar platform hai, jo young players ko high-quality competition ka mauka deta hai.
Unhone kaha, “India me senior level par swimmers ko jada tournaments me compete karne ka mauka nahi milta. Ek Senior Nationals hota hai aur ek University Nationals. Aise me yeh ek aur tournament hai jahan wo apne aap ko test kar sakte hain.”
