Aurovilians are winners in Indian championships

It’s busy times for Auroville athletes in the swim and surf world! While the Indian Open of Surfing was going on in Mangalore with Aurovilian participants Perceval, Dylan and Samai, a lifesaving and swimming event was taking place in Mumbai which also included young Aurovilians.

For many weeks, a group of 12 young athletes from Auroville were intensively training in lifesaving and swimming skills. Those who frequented La Piscine swimming pool can testify to their endurance. The youngsters were preparing for an upcoming lifesaving competition held in Mumbai called ‘Rescue INDIA 2016’ National Pool, Beach & Ocean Lifesaving Sports Championships, held from May 25th. During the four day event organized by Rashtriya Life Saving Society, lifesavers from all over the country came together to display their talents and meet other athletes. Some of the events they participated in included obstacle swimming, manikin carrying with fins, line throwing, beach running, beach sprint, 400 metre ocean swimming and an event called Beach flags.

The 7-member team that consisted of India, Manisa, Jasmine, Gregorio, Guglielmo, Zara, and Sita was well-prepared by their coach Tanja. She says: “This event has been happening for a decade and it is now the third time that Aurovilians participate.”

“We first went to Mangalore, where we stayed at a farm called Varanashi for a swim camp. There, we were only allowed to eat healthy food, so no junk food and no ice cream. We trained about 8 hours a day and stayed in dorms with 30 others. Then, we flew to Mumbai. We stayed all 12 of us in a cramped room, woke up every day at 5 am and were back only at 8.30 pm,” says Manisa, one of the Auroville swimmers.

The amount of training the team received prepared them well. This became more and more evident as the medals they won kept increasing. Finally, the team of young athletes brought home a total of 38 medals – 23 Gold, 11 Silver, and 4 Bronze – distributed over 3 categories: under 12, under 14, and under 16.

Close by, in Mangalore, the Auroville trio of surfers fought it out against international and national surfers in the Indian Open of Surfing. Ultimately, Dylan made it to the semi-finals, and both Samai and Perceval won the event in their respective categories, the under-16 Groms and Open.

“I’ve been surfing for many years now, and it feels amazing to win events in India. The competition is really tough, and the surf world is getting bigger every year thanks to the International Surfing Association and the . I love surfing and I do it every chance I get, so it doesn’t feel like training. But, competing is a whole different thing!” says Perceval.

Samai adds: “It was an awesome experience to be part of this competition. Winning it was just the icing on the cake! Hopefully more such tournaments will be organized in India, so that we can have a strong surfing future in this country!”