Raipur, March 29 (NationPress) In recent days, Karnataka swimmer Manikanta has experienced the whirlwind of rapid costume changes akin to a model in a fashion show, continuously preparing for the next performance.

The 21-year-old made a remarkable impression at the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games held in Raipur, where he aimed to capture nine gold medals over four days. Ultimately, he clinched eight golds and one silver. The primary challenge for Manikanta involved the swift transitions between the pool and the victory podium following each race, necessitating quick changes of attire and mental readiness for the subsequent event.

As a breaststroke specialist, Manikanta opted to broaden his horizons by competing in all four swimming styles: breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, and freestyle, in pursuit of as many gold medals as possible for his state.

“Shifting between different strokes is quite challenging as each race demands a unique strategy. Additionally, the short intervals between races added to the difficulty,” Manikanta conveyed to SAI Media after achieving six individual golds and two relay golds.

Throughout the first three days of the Khelo India Tribal Games, Manikanta participated in nearly every event, with only six races scheduled each day. He also managed to attend the medal ceremonies at the international pool in Raipur during the breaks between races.

This hectic schedule took its toll on him, resulting in a missed opportunity for the 50m freestyle gold in the final race of Day 3, where he finished second to fellow state swimmer Dhoonesh M.

“By the time I entered the water for that race, my abs were tight, which affected my speed. Nevertheless, I am pleased with my overall performance since this is the first time I competed in such a variety of races and strokes,” said Manikanta, whose passion for swimming was ignited by his uncle Manjunath, a former national-level swimmer.

Earlier this year, Manikanta won four gold medals at the Khelo India University Games in Jaipur, securing two individual titles and two relay championships. In the relay races, he only swam the breaststroke segments, while his individual golds came in the 200m and 100m breaststroke events. Initially, he specialized in butterfly swimming, but a shoulder injury in 2019 prompted his coach, Sinjo, to advise him to concentrate on breaststroke.

“I feel as though I was destined for breaststroke. Although I predominantly trained for butterfly, my first national-level medal in 2016 was in a relay race where I swam the breaststroke leg,” shared the swimmer, who hails from Davangiri but currently trains at the Basavanagudi Aquatic Centre in Bengaluru under coach Rajeev RS.

Despite his recent success at the Khelo India Tribal Games, Manikanta dismissed the notion that it would encourage him to compete in more categories in the future. “Participating in multiple events is quite taxing on the body and could impact my performance in my primary event. My focus will remain solely on breaststroke as I aim to qualify for the Indian team for the Asian Games 2026 later this year,” stated the 21-year-old, who is recognized as the second-best swimmer in the 200m breaststroke behind Tamil Nadu's Dhanush S.

Having amassed over 20 medals in Khelo India, including two silvers and a bronze at senior nationals, Manikanta understands that he must surpass his personal best to qualify for the Asian Games, which requires a time of 2:13.03 seconds. His current best stands at 2:20.55 seconds, while the Indian record for this event is held by Sandeep Sejwal, who clocked 2:12.02 seconds at the 2009 Asian age-group championships.

“I have been training rigorously for the past two months with that goal in mind, which is why I performed so well in these nine events here. I know that making it to the Asian Games team is quite challenging, but if I keep working hard, I believe it is achievable,” expressed Manikanta, who aspires to secure a position in the Karnataka Police department based on his swimming accomplishments.