Ojas, Anushka make history with record-breaking performances

Though swimmers from Mohali dominated the event, securing top spots in various categories during the Punjab Swimming Championship, held here at Punjab Agricultural University, recently, city swimmers Ojas Sund and Anushka S

harma stole the show creating seven out of 12 meet records. Their impressive performance was a highlight of the championship.

Ojas, a student of Class X at Jesus Sacred Heart School, was coached by his father Madhav Sund, a national-level swimmer. He broke the previous record in the 200m back stroke event in the boys group-I. Ojas clocked 02.29:82 seconds to beat the existing record of 02.30:55 seconds.

He created a second record in the 50m back stroke (men) with a timing of 29.30 seconds, putting to shade the previous record of 29.60 seconds. He etched another record in the 50m back stroke event (boys group-I), eclipsing the existing.

Ojas went on to create another meet record when he took 01.06:82 seconds in the 100m back stroke event and eliminated the old record of 01.08:51 seconds.

Additionally, Ojas bagged five gold medals and one silver medal in the championship, taking his individual tally to ten.

Similarly, Anushka Sharma (14), a student of Class IX at Guru Nanak Public School, Sarabha Nagar, and a trainee of swimming coach Ajay Sharma, rewrote three meet records.

She took 05.38:17 seconds to establish a new record in the 400m freestyle event (girls-II). She also rewrote the record in the 200m freestyle event in the same age group, clocking 2.32:86 seconds.

Anushka, also put to eclipse the existing record in the 800m freestyle event. She clocked 11.40:14 seconds to erase the previous record.

Ojas and Anushka’s achievements in the state championship were highly appreciated by the Ludhiana and Punjab swimming associations. Punjab Swimming Association CEO Balraj Sharma, Surjit Singh Sandhu (president) and Apinder Singh Grewal, president of District Swimming Association, appreciated the talented duo and wished them good luck for the ensuing National Aquatic Championship to be held next month.

“Given their current form, Ojas and Anushka are definitely swimmers to watch out for in the upcoming championship,” they said.