Records Tumble as Young Swimmers Make Waves at the State Aquatic Meet

The blue lanes of Dr BR Ambedkar International Aquatic Complex in Papanamcode, Thiruvananthapuram, rippled with ambition. A generation of young swimmers dived headlong into the 40th Junior and 41st Sub-Junior State Aquatic Championships.

- RONNIE KURIAKOSE

Organised by the Kerala Aquatic Association, the three-day meet drew over 650 swimmers from all 14 districts. "The meet was one of the most competitive editions in the state's history, with 37 new records and dozens of personal bests logged," says S Rajiv, president of Kerala Aquatic Association.

As expected, the battle for top honours came down to two powerhouses, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram, with the districts splitting the major honours.

Ernakulam clinched the overall championship in the category with 795 points, ahead of Thiruvananthapuram (738). Their dominance was most visible in individual sprint events, and relay races, particularly among the younger swimmers.

Thiruvananthapuram struck back to win the boys' junior crown with 132 points, narrowly ahead of Ernakulam (130). Thiruvananthapuram also swept the boys' and girls' water polo titles, underlining their all-round strength in both racing and events.