I am confident of putting on a good show, says State coach

Karnataka have been a dominant force in swimming for the last two decades and coach Venkatesh voiced optimism on the eve of the 40th Junior National Aquatic Championship here on Tuesday.

“I’m very confident of retaining the crown,” said Venkatesh during a training session at the Gachibowli Stadium. “The squad may not be as strong as old times but we’ve got a bunch of talented swimmers who are eager to be champions.

“The boys seem pretty okay; the girls just seem a little weaker in comparison. However, the girls did well last time in Chennai and I’m confident of them doing well again. We’ve got most of the bases covered and if we swim to our potential, I don’t see a reason why we would not be standing on the podium at the end of the five-day meet.”

Since 1993 Karnataka have not been replaced at the top and Maharashtra coach Yogesh Kagathra felt they face a stiff task yet again in their bid to steal the crown. “At every national junior/ senior swimming meet, Karnataka start favourites and it’s going to be the same this time.

“However, we pushed them last time around in Chennai but they found their way through. We’ve got some good swimmers in our ranks and I’m confident we can win the overall championship. Having said that, it’s not going to be easy and we need to put up a solid show.”