Udupi: Gopal Adiga Coaches Swimming Enthusiasts of All Ages as Hobby
Suvarna Brahmavar
Daijiworld Media Network—Udupi (RD/CN)
Udupi, Nov 21: There is no roll call; no fixed time schedule; no fees. But, he has a following of about 5,000 to 7,000 students. He is Gopal Adiga, a native of Parampalli, near Saligrama, who is an ace swimmer and has a large following of students.
“He is not only a swimming coach, he has the knack of getting rid of people’s fear of water. He is a unique person who has the expertise to train students to swim through simple and easy techniques,” said 57-year-old Arvind Upadhya, a native of Saligrama, who took swimming classes from Gopal Adiga, as he had aspired to learn swimming in his childhood, but couldn’t do so then.
“One day, when I had gone near the lake of Gurunarasimha temple, Saligrama, I saw a group of swimming enthusiasts in the age group of 6 to 18 years, and in their midst there was a trainer of over 60 years of age. I felt awkward, but enthusiastically stepped into the water, thinking I am going to join adult studies under the stewardship of Gopal Adiga,” added Upadhya.
Adiga is present at sharp 6.30 am and 5.00 pm everyday at the temple lake. He swims to keep himself fit. He has bagged several awards both in state and national level swimming competitions for his age group and is hoping to compete in the international arena.
Adiga trains all those who would like to learn swimming, free of charge. He explains the bodily and mental functions while swimming, with a lot of patience and boosts the self-confidence of students.
Adiga has no distinction of caste, creed, or religion, teenagers or adults. All are the same and devotion to swimming is what he expects from his students. The students who follow disciplined training are dear to him. He aspires to train each student to participate in swimming competitions.
Adiga also aspires to see his students better him in swimming, but this has not happened yet.
He can train 20–30 students at a time. He trains each student depending on their ability and age by memorizing their names.
Swimming coaches charge hefty fees in towns and cities, but Adiga charges nothing. He has studied up to Class VII but the students who were trained by him in the past three decades are employed in cushy jobs nationwide and abroad. A few of his old students, while on their visit to their hometown, arrive at the temple lake where they know they can meet Adiga for sure.
About Gopal Adiga:
He is engaged in farming and animal husbandry. He has one son and one daughter. He does most of his farming work on his own, and comes to the temple lake to swim. His son is employed in Bangalore, and daughter has completed BCA and is pursuing an MCA.
Upadhya, on behalf of a large number of students, expressed his gratitude to Adiga and hoped that he continues to train many more students for many years to come.