JOIN USSwim centres across city in dire straits
After many a plea to reopen swimming pools -- at least for the training of elite athletes -- went unheeded, the desperate aquatic centres across the city say they have little financial resources left to pay the staff.
While more and more sports are restarting, the central authorities have been cold to resumption of swimming pools.
“We are in a desperate situation,” said Nihar Ameen, head coach and Managing Director of Dolphin Aquatic. “Though there has been no revenue, we’ve been paying our staff for the past six months, although slightly reduced salaries. Everything is open and its absolutely disgusting what is happening. We have tried at the Sports ministry level, home ministry and state level. The livelihood of the staff, coaches, pool operators, expense running and maintaining the pools. If things don’t change we will simply have to wind up.”
It’s a similar situation for Nisha Millet Swimming Academy as well.
“We have emptied the water in the pools in both of our main centres because it was too expensive to maintain. We’re paying nominal fee to our coaches for the past six months but it’s the end of the rope as far as finances. Some of our coaches are cooking and selling food, some are teaching drawing, dancing or Pilates to make ends meet,” remarked the Olympian adding that there have been other acadmies shutting shop and asking them to take over their pools.
Meanwhile situation is slightly better for others such as Nettakallappa Aquatic Centre and Basavanagudi Aquatic Centre, although not by much. The long term athlete development programme in NAC has helped them stave off the crushing financial blow that missing the summer camps would have cost.
BAC on the other hand has used this time to renovate their facilities.
“We have gone in for renovation of the facility this past month. BAC is almost 38 years old and we thought this was the time to renovate it because maintaining it alone would be very costly. But after that if pools don’t open it will be very difficult,” said Rakshith Jagdale, president of BAC.
The Karnataka Swimming Association and the Swimming Federation of India have done their part to ease the burden, especially the former, but it’s not enough to sustain long term.
The State government said they are awaiting for confirmation from the centre regarding the issue.
“We are waiting for the centre’s nod. Until they give the permission to open pools, we can’t allow functioning of swimming pools,” said CT Ravi, Youth Empowerment and Sports minister.