‘Aha moment’ turns into reality for Manipur divers

There were tears in Shannon Roy’s eyes as the scoreboard lit up at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex here. The Australian coach could barely contain his emotions when his two divers, Willson Singh Ningthoujam and Indiver Sairem, confirmed a historic third place in the men’s synchronised 10m platform.

India had edged Uzbekistan in a nail-biting finish to clinch bronze at the Asian Aquatics Championships, and the moment felt like vindication for years of persistence. It wasn’t a straightforward medal by any means.

Over six nerve-wracking rounds, the Indians found themselves trading places with the Uzbeks while powerhouses China and Malaysia stayed in their own league. But when the pressure was at its peak, Willson and Indiver held their nerve, tallying 300.66 points, while their rivals faltered later on. This bronze wasn’t just a medal; it was India’s first-ever podium finish in the event since the tournament began in 1980, and the culmination of Shannon’s two years of drilling discipline and self-belief into the pair.

Interestingly, Shannon had already seen this moment coming a few months earlier. “You can call it my ‘aha’ moment,” Shannon tells DH. “The result wasn’t that good on paper (they were among the bottom two) but I could see they were clicking together, staying true to the process, made me feel we have a chance here.”

The two divers have taken to their coach’s methods almost religiously. Willson, the senior partner at 32, admitted Shannon was never one for half-measures. “Coach has always set the standards high for us, he never settles for less. It was difficult for us early on when he shortlisted us for the diving programme (at Army Sports Institute in Pune) two years ago. We honestly found it hard and had our low moments but now when we look back it all makes sense as he was pushing us to get the best out of us.”

Telepathic 

Synchronised diving is not about individual brilliance; it’s about unity. Every twist, tuck, and entry into the water is judged not just on technique but on how well two people perform them as one. Eleven judges assess the dive, half of them focusing on the synchronisation — timing of takeoffs, mirror-like positions in mid-air, and the near-identical splash upon entry. Even the most talented diver can drag his team down if the rhythm is off.

That’s where the connection between Willson and Indiver has made the difference. “In synchronised events, it’s like I have to be inside his mind and he has to be inside my mind if we are to do the same movement,” explained Indiver, who at 23 is nearly a decade younger than his partner.

Despite that age gap, the two share a bond rooted in familiarity. Both hail from Manipur and had backgrounds in gymnastics before turning to diving. It’s not a rule that partners must come from the same place, but the common ground helped them read each other better in those high-pressure moments.

The medal was not without struggle either. “I had a niggle on my left thumb, making it painful for me every time I dived,” said Indiver. “But Willson had an encouraging presence as he kept saying ‘no pain, no gain, if I pull this through, we may win a medal.’ That really helped me get going.”

For Shannon and his divers, the bronze is only the beginning but for Indian diving, it is already a watershed moment that proves the sport can dream bigger.