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SFI awaits IOA's word

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 21. With less than a week left for the departure of the Indian contingent for the Asian Games in Busan, the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) is still groping in the dark about the number of swimmers it is likely to be allowed to enter eventually.

The Union Sports Ministry had turned down the SFI's proposal to send three men and five women to Busan. The fate of the swimmers now hinges on the assurance given by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Suresh Kalmadi that India was sure to be represented in Asiad swimming since the sport was part of the Afro-Asian Games to be held here next year.

Indications are that only two men and two women swimmers will form the Indian team.

At present, Akbar Ali Mir (100m backstroke), Amar Muralidharan (200m freestyle, 100m butterfly and 200m butterfly), Rehan Poncha (200m and 400m individual medleys), Richa Misra (100m butterfly, 200m butterfly and 100m breast-stroke), V. Sivaranjini (200m freestyle, 800m freestyle and 200m individual medley), Shikha Tandon (50m freestyle and 100m freestyle), Chitra K. (200m freestyle) and Reshma Millet (50m freestyle and 100m backstroke) are training at the Talkatora pool here and waiting to hear from the SFI.

The girls have been entered in all three relays as well. The problem which the SFI is going to encounter is, how to leave out the swimmers who have been nursing hopes of participating in the Asian Games.

Chief coach K.V. Sharma, who is also the administrator of the pool where the swimmers are training, finds himself awkwardly placed.

"They (the swimmers) seek an answer from me and I don't have anything to say. Once Mr. Kalmadi returns from Madrid (sometime in the middle of next week), we can hope for a decision.''

As per the timings returned by the swimmers during training, Richa Misra looks a certainty for the Games.

"Richa has been consistently clocking under 2:16 in the 200m butterfly. Should she maintain this time in Busan, I have no doubt that we'll have an Indian in the final. Realistically, I don't rule out a top-five finish for Richa,'' said Sharma.

Though no other swimmer is promising to go that far, there will be toss-up between Sivaranjini and Shikha Tandon, should the IOA stick to its apparent stand of sending only two female swimmers.

Among the men, it is difficult to hazard a guess as to who will be left behind.

Akbar Ali Mir, a gold medallist in the Asian age-group meet at Zhuhai, China, recently, may get the nod. But there is very little to choose between Amar Muralidharan and Rehan Poncha.

Sharma feels that swimmers have shown improvement over the years. "There was a time when we went out in the heats itself.

But now, there are chances of our swimmers breaking into the semifinals. I feel they deserve to be encouraged and not kept on tenterhooks,'' he said.

"My heart goes out for these swimmers because they were kept away from the National championship so that they could peak only in Busan. Now I can only hope for the best,'' said the Chief coach.

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