Last month, the national team's swimmers shattered 20 records, marking a remarkable achievement. Prior to this, in January, local athletes had won several medals at an event held in Sri Lanka.
Last month, the national team's swimmers shattered 20 records, marking a remarkable achievement. Prior to this, in January, local athletes had won several medals at an event held in Sri Lanka.
Maldives' promising swimmer, Meral Ain Latheef, also secured a gold medal at the Sri Lanka tournament. In total, the national team bagged 15 medals, including six silver and eight bronze.
The progress made by the swimmers in the first two months of the year is unprecedented, according to the country's swimming experts.
A senior swimming association official remarked, "Swimmers have participated in numerous competitions in the past, but none have resulted in so many records being broken." From three tournaments, twenty records were set.
The swimmers shattered long-standing records that were previously thought unbreakable. Even younger athletes displayed remarkable determination and progress.
Summary of Swimming Achievements in the First Two Months:
20 records broken in February 1 gold medal in January Six silver and eight bronze medals in January A total of 15 medals in January
An experienced association official said that one of the main factors contributing to this milestone improvement is the opportunity for swimmers to practice in an indoor swimming pool.
The indoor pool at Hulhumalé Sports Complex, though not meeting international standards in terms of length, width, or depth, has played a crucial role in training the national team over the past five years. Previously, swimmers had to train in the sea, battling waves and adverse weather conditions. They only used the pool when necessary, such as before tournaments or when a competition was imminent. At that time, the team had to travel to a foreign country to use a pool for training.
"It was because of the pool that the athletes showed such a huge improvement. We noticed this difference shortly after we started practicing in the pool regularly," said a swimming association official.
The ultimate dream for the swimmers is to have a pool in their home country that meets international standards. Land adjacent to the Hulhumalé Sports Complex has been allocated for the construction of such a pool.
However, progress on this front has been slow, with no substantial work initiated thus far.
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