1st State level Paralympic Swimming Championship-2013
(July 20-21, 2013)
CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT
The Paralympic Swimming Association
of Tamilnadu (PSATN) after its successful hosting of the 12th National
Paralympic Swimming & Water Polo championship in Dec 2012 in the very first
year of its inception, made it a point to conduct the 1st State
level Paralympic Swimming Championship-2013 with the main aim of encouraging
participants from various districts of
Tamilnadu. PSATN conducted this event at SDAT Aquatic Stadium, Velachery Road,
beside Raj Bhawan, Guindy, Chennai from July
20-21, 2013 .
A total of 160 differently abled
swimmers (144 males and 16 females) and 150 officials/escorts/coaches/managers
(Total 310 persons) took part in the Two-day
event representing Thirty (30) different districts namely Chennai, Kanchipuram,
Dharmapuri, Namakkal, Vellore, Tuticorin, Nagerkoil, Dindigul to name a few.
The swimmers were classified into eight disability groups / categories
depending upon their type and degree of disabilities namely S1 to S5 –
Locomotion-impaired (affected by polio, amputees, cerebral palsy and muscular
dystrophy, etc), S11 (visually-challenged) and SD (Down syndrome), S7 – Dwarfs.
Further classified into 3 age groups in both male and female sections, i. e.,
Sub-juniors (under 15 years), Juniors (15 to 18+ years), and Seniors (19 years
and above). A total of 67different events were conducted.
Accommodation to all teams and escorts
was provided at SDAT, Aquatic Stadium. It was shared accommodation provided
along with beddings. Food was provided to all the teams, escorts and officials
by the organizers.
The
Championship was inaugurated by Thiru.K.Rajaraman I.A.S., Member Secretary –
Sports Development Authority of Tamilnadu who has been a great support for this
event throughout. Mr.J Chandra Mouli, Head, HRSSC of Scope international Pvt
Ltd and Mrs Mythili K Rajendran, IAS, Project Director, Tamilnadu Pudhu Vaazhvu
Project were the Guests of Honour.
.
At the closing
ceremony, Mr.V.K Jeyakodi, IAS, State Commissioner for the Welfare of the
Differently-abled, gave away the trophies to the victorious athletes. Guests of
Honour, Mr.Nasimuddin, IAS Principal Secretary to Government, Youth Welfare and
Sports Development Department, and Mr Edwin Nevis, CEO of Scope Ont’l Pvt. ltd,
congratulated the winners, and extended their best wishes to all athletes, and
their families
Mr.C.Ananda Jothi, Specialist
Musculoskeletal Manipulative and Sports physiotherapy worked as the Technical
Director for the Championship while Miss P. Madhavi Latha was the Organizing
Secretary.
Contd…2
On the basis of points allotted
to medals won, Individual Best Swimmers were selected and Trophies were awarded
to them in all categories and age groups for both males and females making a
total of twenty one (21) such trophies.
Overall Swimming Championship was
lifted by Chennai district with 25 medals (17 Gold, 6 Silver & 2 Bronze)
and 650 points. Pudukottai remained second with 18 medals (Gold 5, Silver 6
& Bronze 7) and 340 points. The team from Madurai district put up a great
show and bagged third place with 14 medals
(Gold 3, Silver 5 & Bronze 6) and 250 points.
PSATN is very proud to share news
of the formation of a new water polo team with the swimmers from various
districts. This team will be trained both physically and mentally with all the
recent scientific advancements to take part in the upcoming Nationals to be
held at Bangalore.
PSATN takes immense pleasure in
thanking SDAT Officials for providing accommodation and permission to use SDAT Aquatic Stadium for
conducting the event and also for extending great support through their coaches
& Tamilnadu Pudhu Vaazhvu project Officials for identifying swimmers from
nooks and corners of Tamilnadu with great effort, Scope international Pvt Ltd
(a wholly-owned subsidiary of Standard Chartered Bank – UK) & Kences
constructions Co Pvt. Ltd for stepping forward to help with sponsorship and
event management and also we thank Nathella jewelers, Sri Sugam physiotherapy
institute and Yes We Too Can for their
great support in making this championship a grand success. And PSATN is very
much thankful to the Principal, Loyola College for extedning his affectionate
blessings & support for our cause by sending NCC Cadets from their college
to help the participant and to Prof Sujatha Srinivasan of IIT, Madras for
arranging demonstration about the functioning of Swimming Pool Lift Project
along with her team of students.
The Championship was very
extensively covered by the local print and electronic media. The motto of the
Championship was to increase the awareness among masses towards providing equal
opportunities to the people with different limitations in order to enable them
to become independent and live as respectable citizens and equal partners in
social, cultural, economical, political and sports life. The Championship
provides an opportunity for their social integration and motivates them to be
active participants in nation building.
