Bhopal: A tall, handsome foreigner had been keeping a watch from a distance, as members of the Madhya Pradesh kayaking & canoeing team picked up one gold after another on the opening day of the water sports events at the Khelo India Youth Games 2022 Madhya Pradesh (KIYG 2022 MP) on Wednesday.
‘Our targets are much higher’
“It’s a good start but our targets are much higher,” remarked Aleksandr Dyadchuk, the coach from Kazakhstan, who has been appointed by the MP Water Sports Academy recently.
As someone who had been a gold medallist in kayaking at the Doha 2006 Asian Games and a two-time Olympian, having participated in the Beijing (2008) and London (2012) Olympics, Aleksandr surely knows what he is talking about.
The appointment of the Olympian, albeit for a short duration initially with an eye on the upcoming KIYG in the state, shows the intent of the Madhya Pradesh government – and its sports ministry – in raising the bar for water sports in the state.
The presence of the Upper Lake in Bhopal, along with the state-of-the art facilities at the Academy on its shores, is also an incentive to fuel the dreams of the likes of young kayakers and canoers like the Nitin Vermas and Devendra Sens, who won gold on the opening day of the discipline for the hosts.
‘Facilities are at par with international standards’
“The facilities in this academy are at par with international standards. You see, this is an expensive sport and it’s not usually possible for an individual to invest in a boat (each of them costs anything between INR 4-5 lakhs) and the carbon fibre oars. I must thank the government for backing their talent and the athletes must now dream big,’’ said Aleksandr’s last assignment was as the national coach of South Korea at the 2018 Asiad. The 40-year-old’s best performance in Olympics was a 12th place finish in London 2012.
Asked for a realistic assessment of the talent available at his disposal, the pro from the city of Almaty in the central Asian country, struck a positive note.
'Quality that you need is muscle endurance'
“Earlier, there used to be a perception that one had to be tall to succeed in this sport, but that’s not the case anymore. The quality that you need is muscle endurance and for that, I am trying to push them to spend more time in the gym,’’ he said during a freewheeling chat.
Indian boys and girls are a talented lot and need to work hard
“Ideally, a boy or girl should take to the sport at 12-13, but the average age among the Indians here are between 17 and 18 years – which is acceptable. They are a talented lot and need to work hard from here onwards for the next two years and target the Asian level first…it’s one step at a time,’’ he said.
‘It’s been a great start’
"The appointment of an Olympian coach shows how serious the state is. The state government is ever willing to provide us with all the facilities and want the results. It’s been a great start and I hope that our boys and girls will build on the tally in the race for the 12 medals at stake,’’ chipped in Captain Piyushkanti Barui, the head coach at the MP Academy and the national coach of the kayaking & canoeing squad.
‘Our target now is Asian Games later this year’
Bauri further remarked, “India got five medals at the last Asian Championships in Thailand and our target now is the Asian Games later this year. The addition of water sports to Khelo India, I am sure, will help us in building a junior talent base in the sport,’’ remarked Barui.
The logistics of running a fully equipped water sports academy is quite a demanding one and it’s no surprise that there are only five such water sports academies in the country. Apart from Bhopal, the other academies are in Alleppey, SAI, Jagatpur, Roorkee (Indian Army) and Kochi (Indian Navy).
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