Date:13/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/13/stories/2008081361220300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

They had the time of their lives

Kalyan Ashok.

Bangalore: Besides Nisha Millet the other State swimmers who made it to the Olympics were S.H.K. Hakimuddin (2000), Shikha Tandon (2004) and Rehan Poncha (2008). Hakimuddin was a renowned freestyle and butterfly expert, who went to the Sydney Games as the best Indian male swimmer, despite narrowly missing the qualifying mark in the 200m freestyle event.

About the Games, Hakimuddin had fond memories. “You had the world’s best for company. Swimming legends like Ian Thorpe, Alexander Popov and debutant Michael Phelps (now the World Champion) were very much around. It was wonderful to interact with them and watch them in action and even race against them. They were intimidating in the pool, but off it, they were so friendly despite being so gifted,” Hakimuddin recalled.

Hakimuddin called the Olympic Village a melting pot. “It was like Noah’s Ark, where you had the best of each category. About 11,000 athletes living together for a fortnight, cutting across all barriers, religions, nationalities and there was equality and respect for all. Some times, I wish the world remains an Olympic Village,” said Hakimuddin, who now runs a sports management company called Go Sports.

The petite Shikha Tandon, almost made it to Beijing but missed narrowly. But she was there at Athens (2004) and it was special for her. “I qualified in the 50m and 100m freestyle for the Olympics. The swimming competition at the Olympics was world class and it was a great honour to represent the country,” said Shikha. “I watched a lot of events in swimming and observed how the greats performed and it was inspiring,” she said.

She too was swept by the camaraderie at the Olympic Village. “It was fun to be in a place where everyone shared a common goal and common ideals and there was so much of friendship and harmony. I made lot of friends, from other sports in our country and from other nations as well. Some of them still remain my good friends,” said Shikha.

Both Shikha and Hakimuddin painted a bright picture for Indian aquatics. “The quality of swimming is going up. In 2004, I was the lone swimmer at Olympics. Now we have sent four swimmers and each of them have made the qualifying marks and we are improving and we would see a lot more Indian swimmers at the Olympics,” said Shikha. “Things have changed dramatically in the last few years and we are going in the right direction,” said Hakimuddin.

Right now at the Games is Rehan Poncha, the intrepid young man, who made it to Beijing by qualifying in the 200m butterfly.

“It was a long climb alright and I made it in my last attempt at the Telstra Australian Grand Prix in Sydney, a month before the Games. It was taxing and exciting and I am now focussed on doing well,” said Rehan.