By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The first All India SFI Open Ranking Swimming Championship was concluded yesterday at the Gochibowli Swimming Pool ( 20th to 23rd December 2022). Twenty three swimmers, Men and Women from Odisha were selected on the basis of their performances in the zonal level championship to represent the state in the National Championship 2022.
The performance of Odisha Swimmers was quite encouraging in this championship. Pratyasha Ray(Women) wins three medals for Odisha for the first time ever by a State swimmer in Senior category. She bagged one silver in 100m. Back stroke, Bronze in 50m back stroke and 200m. Back stroke. She also wins cash award for the 5th position in 200 free style.
The other swimmers from Odisha who wins cash awards by their stellar performances are Mannata Mishra( Women) in 200 breast stroke ( 5th position ) , 100m. Breast stroke ( 6th ) Vadra Satpathy (Women) in 400m freestyle ( 6th), 800m. Free style ( 6th), Jadu Budek ( Men)in 50m Back stroke ( 8th position) Anmol Mohanty ( Men) in back stroke ( 8th position), Nabin Sharma( Men) in 100 back stroke ( 7th) 200 back stroke ( 7th)
‘Keeping in view the stiff competition in the first All India Ranking Championship recognised by FINA (International Swimming Federation) the swimmers from Odisha have done very well and we congratulate all of them” shares Pradip Padhee, President of the Odisha State Swimming Association. We express our gratitude to the government of Odisha for the support as well as the facilities provided to the swimmers of the state, he added. The swimmers from Odisha were trained by Olympian and Arjun awardee swimmer Shree Sandeep Sejwal and South African coach Douglas Eager.
