Meet Pawani, youngest swimmer in city

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, October 19

Pawani Bhatia (6), a student of Class I of Swami Sant Dass Public School, is the youngest swimmer of the city. She has won a number of silver and gold medals in various state and national swimming championships.

Recently, Pawani has won three gold in the 41st District Primary School Games swimming competition held at EEM AAR International Public School, Adampur, here. She won gold in 50m breaststrokes, 50m backstrokes and 50m butterfly strokes, giving a tough fight to other swimmers who came from across the region.

Talking to this correspondent, Pawani’s coach-cum-father Regwinder Bhatia said in the school games swimming competition, children under 11 years of age, studying in Classes I to V, took part while Pawani was the youngest swimmer in the contest.

He said last year too, Pawani brought a silver medal home in the first Punjab State Modern Pentathlon Championship, 2019, held in Ludhiana in the U-9 age group category and competed with players in the age group of 8-9 years. She was now selected for a state tournament to be held in Sangrur in the near future.

When asked when Pawani started swimming, father Regwinder Singh said she started swimming at the age of 3 years.

“She always accompanied me in various matches and developed interest in swimming. I hope that she will bring more medals in the future and make her state and the nation proud.

Meanwhile, her father, who is at present working as a swimming coach with Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Bhogpur, here, had been recognised as the ‘Best Water Polo Player of Punjab’ in 1997. He had also represented the state as water polo team coach and has made a large number of government school students participate in various national games in the past 10 years and win medals for the state.

He said it’s he was working hard for her better future. He said his daughter was an inspiration for all parents of girl child.

“I am proud of my daughter and I salute her dedication towards swimming she has in this young age as she practices swimming for one hour daily without making an excuse ever,” he said.