She is one of the best swimmers in the State at the moment and promises to be one of the brightest medal prospects in the future. 
Pooja’s winning streak continued at the Junior National Championship in Bhopal recently, where she bagged a total of eight gold medals, five in individual events and three in the relays. The young swimmer had to ward off stiff competition from her own State-mates and the ever-competitive swimmers from Maharashtra. But Pooja showed why she continues to be one of the best in Group I. This show was an improvement over her performance at the previous edition in Chennai, where her total haul was seven medals.
Bagging a total of eight medals in the event did not mean Pooja was satisfied. She was gunning for more glory in the form of records. However, she wasn’t at her best, healthwise, and it was difficult to push herself. In fact, several swimmers in the Karnataka team suffered bouts of fever and were also ailing with stomach problems. "I got several gold medals but then I am not really happy. I was looking for three or four records," she said. "I was looking to do better particularly well in the 200 metres freestyle. Sadly, my illness proved to be a hurdle."
‘Training hard’
However, Pooja, a trainee at the Basavanagudi Auqatic Club under National coach N Pradeep Kumar, is not letting anything affect her mentally. She is now preparing for the South Asian Swimming Championship in Islamabad in September. "I am training hard at the National camp in Chennai. We are having tough workouts at the camp since we may come across some good swimmers in the meet," she said.
"There will be some good swimmers from Sri Lanka in the South Asian event but otherwise the event will more or less be dominated by Indian swimmers. I hope to put up a better show there," Pooja stated, adding: "The performance in Bhopal is certainly a bit of a confidence booster. It will help me mentally."
Pooja is now at a crucial juncture in her life. On the one hand, she is studying in the second year of pre-university in NMKRV College. And on the other, this season is the last year the science student will be competing in the Group I. She moves to the senior category next year.
"All these years, I was competing with people of similar ages. From next year, it is going to be a lot harder. The senior swimmers have experience and are more mature. They have that extra edge. I will have to work harder to shave off the seconds from the timings I have been doing to win medals in the senior category," Pooja remarked.
"It will be tight since I have to study well to get into a professional course."
Her parents, Raghav and Shobha Alva, have supported their daughter all through and wish she does better in swimming and goes on to win more laurels. However, as her father puts it, it has been difficult financially. Especially so as Pooja, like many other sportspersons in the State, hardly receives financial support from any quarter.
Despite the odds and pressures, Pooja is one determined athlete. She will not let problems get in the way of her performance and is determined to go about her business with utmost commitment.