1st State level Paralympic Swimming Championship - Championship Report

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 12^th National Paralympic Swimming & Water Polo championship in Dec 2012 in the very first year of its inception, made it a point to conduct the 1^st 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.