Patiala swimmer Sahil Chopra breaks inter-university record

But Sahil Chopra’s biggest success came in April this year when he claimed the bronze in the 50m freestyle event in the World School games held in Poland.

On Friday night, Patiala swimmer Sahil Chopra, 18, called up Olympian Veerdhawal Khade and had a five-minute conversation with the 2010 Asian Games bronze medallist swimmer from Maharashtra. He had just broken Khade’s five-year-old All India University record of 23.59 seconds in the 50m freestyle event with a timing of 23.58 seconds in the All India Inter-University aquatics championship at Panjab University Swimming pool.

“Both of us train at Bengaluru and Khade has been my role model since I started swimming. Right after breaking his record, I called him to tell about the record and he was encouraging. He was happy about my achievement and also gave me some tips to improve further. Breaking his record is a like a dream come true for me and it will motivate me to do better in the future,” said Chopra, whose father Sanjeev Chopra is a head constable with the Punjab Police in Patiala.

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Chopra took up swimming in 2007 on the insistence of his father but soon had to sit out for more than six months after he broke an arm. Chopra, who initially trained under coaches Raj Kumar and Mahinder Singh, soon won his first medal, a bronze, in the 50m breast stroke event in the State School games at Ropar in 2007 before bagging a gold medal in School National games in 2009.

But Chopra’s biggest success came in April this year when he claimed the bronze in the 50m freestyle event in the World School games held in Poland.

“Before the Inter University championship, I had a viral fever and also missed the Asian Age group trials at Pune earlier due to fever. But I resumed training soon. This year has seen some of my best timings and I am targeting a good performance in the senior nationals at Rajkot next week now. A good performance there would guarantee me a place in the Indian team for SAFF Games in Guwahati. There will also be international competitions in Dubai next year and I am targeting too,” shared Chopra, who is a student of Mohindra College in Patiala.

Chopra currently trains at the Dolphin Aquatics academy in Bengaluru under coach Nihar Ameen. He has been training there for the last three years. The absence of good coaches and all-weather swimming pool in Patiala means that he has to spent 6-7 months in Bengaluru for training.

“Initially it was difficult. But my parents have supported me. They spend Rs 30,000 to 40,000 per month for my training at Bengaluru and it has been tough. But my teammates and Nihar sir have always helped me,”said the swimmer.

“Sahil is young and talented and his strength is his physical fitness. He needs to focus on the mental aspect of the sport and the upcoming nationals will provide him a good opportunity to show his talent,” said coach Nihar Ameen.