Exclusive interaction with Virdhawal Khade

Name : Veer
Age : 29
Date of Birth : 29/08/1991
Place of Birth : Kolhapur

Educational Institutes Attended : St. Xaviers High School – Kolhapur,

New Model College, Vivekananda College – Kolhapur. Educational Qualification : B.Com Graduate Currently Working as : Tahsildar, Gov of Maharashtra

Introduction to Swimming : Started as a learn to swim Student in 1995. Since father has always been a big fan of swimming he introduced me to swimming when i was almost 5.

First Coach : Shri. Rajendra Rasal back in Kolhapur. He taught me how to swim.

Your current coach : Shri. Nihar Ameen

Your favorite Indian swimmer (if any & why) : Rujuta Khade because she is hard working, she has good sprint technique and she is very emotional about the sport. Also Sandeep Sejwal. He is definitely amongst the best swimmers to ever come out of India. He is also my dear pal. His Grit, determination and hard work always inspired me while training and racing.

Your favorite International swimmer (if any & why) : Michael Phelps, because he is the greatest of all times.

Also Caeleb Dresssel because he is a phenomenon. Apart from being a very very fast swimmer, the ease with which he swims fast is really breathtaking.

Your main swimming event : Currently my main events are 50 and 100 Freestyle.

Turning Point in Life : Olympics 2008 was the turning point in my life. It was an experience that made me really self confident and I started believing that I am and Can be a very good swimmer.

Most Cherished moment is life : Asian Games Medal in 2010, Commonwealth Youth Games in 2008. But I think along with those moments and memories, watching Rujuta win at the nationals last year was one of my most cherished moments. I cannot describe that feeling in words. It was incredible.

Major Achievements : Holder of 5 Best Indian Performances, qualified for the Olympics at the age of 16 in 2007, Asian Games medal 2010, Arjuna Award 2011, Shiv Chhatrapati Award 2013.

Awarded Arjuna Award/ Major Award/ Recognition in the year : Arjung Award 2011

I give credit for my success to : My parents to begin with. WIthout their sacrifices, hard work and persistence I would never have become who I am today.

All my coaches since my childhood. Rajendra Rasal Sir, Shrikant Jambhale sir, Suresh Kumar Sir, Appala Naidu Sir who made me a National Champion. Nihar Ameen Sir has made me who I am today. Since 2005 till today he has influenced my life in such a big way. The person and Swimmer I am today is all because of my Parents and Nihar Sir who I also consider a Parent.

How can Indian Swimming Progress : Indian Swimming has already progressed incredibly. As much as I can remember since 2005 which was my 1st Senior Nationals in Thrissur. If you look at the records, Indian Swimming today is not even on the same page as it was a few years ago. No other country has improved as much as we have.

Just to mention a few records for perspective, the best indian performance in 100 free has gone from 53.51 to 49.47. 100 Breaststroke from 1.05 to 1.00 min. 100 Butterfly from 56 to 52 seconds. 100 Backstroke from 58 to 53 seconds. 1500 freestyle from 16 mins 30 secs (approx) to 15 mins 25 secs.

I can’t think of any other sport in India who have improved so much in 15 years. If that    is not progress, I don’t know what is. But I think the coaches in India need to work the Girls in India swimming better. I think Currently we don’t have great role models in Indian swimming for GIrls. After Nisha Millet and Shikha Tandon there has been a lack of talent that has performed for India Internationally. By creating that 1 or 2 Female swimmers we can inspire younger girls and make them believe that even they can win medals for India. Even they can qualify for the Olympics.

What all has changed for good in Indian swimming since you started swimming :  A lot has changed. Infrastructure is better. Coaches have gotten better. More technology has been introduced and it is available for everyone to use. The Internet has made the world a much smaller place. Information and technology among other things has helped tremendously in improving sport in India.

How are you contributing currently to Indian Swimming : I am still representing India at the international level. Winning medals for India. I also like to think of myself as an example that people can take when its about pursuing a sport like swimming even after you’re married and ‘old’ as some people might like to think. I also try to help younger swimmers by sharing knowledge I have acquired over the years. Since I have swum extensively and a various number of events at the national and international level, I believe I can help or guide swimmers through the doubts or problems they might have.

How you see yourself five years from now :
5 years from now I will be a coach. I am not sure about where and in what capacity but I will be a swim coach for sure.

Message :

I’m thrilled with how well Indian swimming has been doing over the past few years. 2 Asian Games medals and several Finals participations at the commonwealth and Asian Games in the past 10 years. Many swimmers are pursuing the A qualification mark for the Olympic Games. I can’t wait to watch Indian Swimmers trying to get into the finals of an Olympics or a World Event. I think those days are coming soon.