Only 2 out of 10 swimming pools of Chandigarh have coaches

Deepankar Sharda

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Chandigarh, May 1

The UT Administration has only two coaches to train swimmers at 10 swimming pools, which have been opened for the general public and professional/ amateur swimmers.

The Administration has a total of 12 pools under its possession at various sports complexes in Chandigarh. As per the recent circular, the UT Sports Department has allowed the opening of 10 swimming pools. However, only two swimming pools will be managed by coaches and the rest will be looked after by boatmen and lifeguards. Though it’s not possible to appoint coaches at all coaching centres, a little effort could have been done to appoint half the number of coaches as compared to the number of pools in Chandigarh to train the young generation.

The two coaches have been appointed at the Sector 23 nursery pool and at the Lake Sports Complex, while other centres will be managed by lifeguards and boatmen. Two lifeguards have been appointed at the Sector 23 pool and one at the Lake Sports Complex to help the coaches.

Further, the facilities in Sector 38, Sector 39, Sector 43 and Sector 56 will run operations under the supervision of lifeguards and those in Sector 34 and Sector 27 will be supervised by boatmen. One lifeguard and one boatman each have been appointed at the Sector 50 and Sector 8 pools. Though the Administration flaunts having a vast infrastructure in Chandigarh, a little attention was given for appointing professional coaches in order to train swimmers here.

“Chandigarh is perhaps the only city in this entire region to have such a huge number of swimming pools managed under the government’s umbrella. There are a few cases within the UT Sports Department where lifeguards are coaching young children and the department should encourage them by allowing them to attend certified coaching courses. Also, the department should encourage the recruitment of more coaches. In the past three years, only one regular coach has been appointed after the only woman swimming coach in the department completed her service,” said a senior official, seeking anonymity.

Ironically, as per the UT Sports Department’s circular, all swimming pools will have trainees’ time from 6 am to 7 am and 4 pm to 5 pm (for national and state swimmers, including trainees). However, only two centres have coaches and the rest of the centres are being managed by lifeguards and boatmen. A total of 11 lifeguards and four boatmen have been appointed to run these centres.