THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was a denouement which announced

08/10/09

Sporty India Updated

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was a denouement which announced the future of Indian swimming. Petite Arhatha Magavi stunned the experienced and overwhelming favourite Richa Mishra in 100m butterfly event of the 63rd senior National aquatics championship at the LNCPE Swimming Pool on Wednesday.
The icing on the cake was the best Indian performance with a time of 1:03.24.
Ecstatic
Magavi had never beaten Richa in a competitive race and the 15-year-old 10th standard student of Baldwin Girls High School, Bangalore, was understandably ecstatic.

“I am so excited, as it is for the first time I am beating Richa. My plan was to get a good start and cover the first half of the race in 29 seconds. Thankfully, I was able to execute my plans to perfection,” she said.
A trainee of current National coach S. Pradeep Kumar at the BAC, Magavi was first spotted by former international Nisha Millet during a summer camp at the Catholic Club in 2002.

Impressed by the young girl, Nisha invited her to train at the BAC which is just a stone’s throw from Magavi’s home. The rest is history.
Dedication
Magavi’s dedication and talent saw her sweep the age-group competitions before making her debut in the senior Nationals four years ago. She had to live under the shadows of Shikha Tandon and other talented swimmers from Karnataka before taking her deserved place under the sun in this National meet.

Coach Pradeep Kumar rates his ward highly. “She is easily the most talented swimmer in this country at the moment. She is still young and can go places.
Stunning performance
“It is stunning performance and it is not everyday that someone beats Richa Mishra,” the coach said.

“I am indebted to my parents and my coach Pradeep Kumar for all this,” Magavi said.
This is Magavi’s second record of the meet and the little girl will take part in three more individual events. Magavi is hungry for more success as this will be her last competitive meet this season as she plans to concentrate more on her studies.
“I want to finish on a high note,” she said.