Media Release
Puttur, Jul 1: Coach Partha Varanashi from Puttur has been selected as one of the swim coaches to represent the Indian Swim Team at the World Championship to be held in July at Gwangju, South Korea.
The World Aquatics Championships are the most prestigious swimming event after the Olympics. World Championships are held once every two years by FINA, the world governing body for swimming. One thousand and eight swimmers from different countries participate in the World Championships every two years.
The qualifying criteria for this championship are very stringent. In a nutshell, qualifying benchmarks are called 'cuts'. An 'A' cut qualification is extremely difficult, only the top 16 Swimmers in the world qualify for this, depending on their timings at previous International Meets. Under 'A' cut, each country can send up to 2 swimmers per event. Slightly below, this is the 'B' cut and each country can send only one swimmer for each stroke.
Our Indian team this year is sending 6 swimmers all with 'B' cut timings. Swimmer Veerdhawal Khade (MAH) for Freestyle, Saajan Prakash (Kerala) for Butterfly, Srihari Nataraj (Kar) for Backstroke, Likith S P (Kar) for breaststroke, Advaith Page and Rawath for Long Distance Freestyle will represent the Indian Team in their individual events.
Producing an 'A' cut Olympian has always been his long-cherished desire ever since coach Partha Varanashi took over the lease of the Dr Shivarama Karantha Balawana Swimming Pool here in Puttur in 2012. Over the years, he has trained several swimmers in Puttur who have won State, National and International medals.
Currently, coach Partha also serves as the swim director of Netkallappa Aquatic Center, Bengaluru, where he has several reputed swimmers and coaches under him.
At the 62nd Malaysian Open Swimming Championship in April 2019, his top swimmer Likith S P from Netkallappa Aquatic Center, Bangalore, clocked 28.05 in 50 metres breastkstroke and 1.02.02 in 100 metres breaststroke, thus qualifying for the FINA approved World Championships.
It was a great achievement for coach Partha Varanashi when the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) selected him as one of two swim coaches to represent the Indian team at the championship to be held at Gwangju, South Korea in July. The swim coaches team will be headed by Dronacharya Awardee Nihar Ameen.