Coimbatore: Bhavika Dugar, long distance freestyler studying Class XI in Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan Matric Higher Secondary School in the city is consistently showing her skill and bringing laurels to the city with her freestyle swimming and now she is focusing on Olympics 2024.
Coimbatore: Bhavika Dugar, long distance freestyler studying Class XI in Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan Matric Higher Secondary School in the city is consistently showing her skill and bringing laurels to the city with her freestyle swimming and now she is focusing on Olympics 2024.
Bhavika caught everyone's eye by grabbing total of six medals including 4 gold medals in the individual event and two silver in team event in the recently concluded Khelo India Youth Sports.
Competing with the U-21 years category swimmers who has more experience than her, Bhavika has bagged four golds in 200mts, 400mts, 800mts and 1500mts freestyle swimming and silver in 4*100 relay and 4*100 medley events.
Bhavika started to swim at the age of three. Bhavika's mother was a state level swimmer, encouraged her to
learn swimming and enter competitions. Though Bhavika was not very interested in swimming in the beginning, her interest grew when she won a few competition.
In the initial year, Bhavika struggled a lot as swimming seems to be difficult game. When she started she found it very difficult as swimming needs lot of strength and endurance says Shilpa Durga, Bhavika's mother. She also added that, when Bhavika was 5 years old she participated in the District level swimming competition held at Jennys residency swimming club where she was awarded best young swimmer. This encouraged her to take up the sport.
At her age of 8 she started training under Sri Ramesh at Jennys residency Swimming club. And started to place medals in the State and national level meets. She placed bronze in her first national level competition held at Indoor.
But 2015 Asian Age group Swimming championship in the Junior National Aquatic championships turned was the turning point in her career in which she placed 6th place in the 1500 Mrs freestyle swimming. And the very next year she was qualified to take part in the World school games held at Turkey.
"I had no interest in swimming at the beginning but now it has become my dream to win an Olympic medal, " said Bhavika. Four gold medals at Khelo India youth sport is my biggest achievement and I'm practicing 5 hours a day to achieve my dream.
She credits her mother and grandfather who was also a state level swimmers and her coach Sri Ramesh who has been encouraging her from her initial stage.
Bhavika caught everyone's eye by grabbing total of six medals including 4 gold medals in the individual event and two silver in team event in the recently concluded Khelo India Youth Sports.
Competing with the U-21 years category swimmers who has more experience than her, Bhavika has bagged four golds in 200mts, 400mts, 800mts and 1500mts freestyle swimming and silver in 4*100 relay and 4*100 medley events.
Bhavika started to swim at the age of three. Bhavika's mother was a state level swimmer, encouraged her to
learn swimming and enter competitions. Though Bhavika was not very interested in swimming in the beginning, her interest grew when she won a few competition.
In the initial year, Bhavika struggled a lot as swimming seems to be difficult game. When she started she found it very difficult as swimming needs lot of strength and endurance says Shilpa Durga, Bhavika's mother. She also added that, when Bhavika was 5 years old she participated in the District level swimming competition held at Jennys residency swimming club where she was awarded best young swimmer. This encouraged her to take up the sport.
At her age of 8 she started training under Sri Ramesh at Jennys residency Swimming club. And started to place medals in the State and national level meets. She placed bronze in her first national level competition held at Indoor.
But 2015 Asian Age group Swimming championship in the Junior National Aquatic championships turned was the turning point in her career in which she placed 6th place in the 1500 Mrs freestyle swimming. And the very next year she was qualified to take part in the World school games held at Turkey.
"I had no interest in swimming at the beginning but now it has become my dream to win an Olympic medal, " said Bhavika. Four gold medals at Khelo India youth sport is my biggest achievement and I'm practicing 5 hours a day to achieve my dream.
She credits her mother and grandfather who was also a state level swimmers and her coach Sri Ramesh who has been encouraging her from her initial stage.