Youngsters from remote village brave odds to shine in Meghalaya games

Shella (India/Bangladesh border), Feb 12: After taking lessons from YouTube videos, a group of youngsters from a remote village on the India-Bangladesh border literally swam against the tide to earn laurels in the recently concluded Meghalaya Games.

These youngsters, aged between 12 to 18 years, from Shella and nearby areas have bagged 50 medals—the highest in swimming events—in the sporting event held at Tura in West Garo Hills district.

Their medal tally included 23 gold, 7 silver and 20 bronze. Despite not having a coach and other basic facilities, they managed to beat their fancied opponents from the State capital by a wide margin.

But this stupendous achievement was not a splash in the pan as the swimmers dominated the pool at various events.

“We learn swimming techniques from YouTube videos. We do not have any coach and we learn and practice at the Umiam River at Shella,” said 12-year-old Utmy Syngwan, who won five medals, including two gold.

Like Syngwan, many of her compatriots have learned swimming in the Umiam river that rages down the hills to the flood plains of Bangladesh.

“We hope that one day we will have a coach and proper infrastructure in our village,” Pdiangsuklang Syngwan, won nine medals, including seven gold, said.

The swimmers are being assisted by the Young Blood Sports Club, which is headed by a sports enthusiast, Kommen Laitmon. “I just encourage the swimmers from our village to take part in various events. We have also sent the swimmers for some coaching in Assam and Odisha in the past,” he said.

Laitmon mentioned that the swimmers are in desperate need of a coach and necessary infrastructure to further improve their performance. Laitmon, who is also the traditional head of Shella, said that he is seeking assistance from the government for a 50-metre swimming pool and a coach.

“We are trying to get an international-level swimming pool in our village so that these kids can learn in a proper way. They need expert guidance to learn flip over, which they now struggle to do as they train in the river,” Laitmon said.

Till the State government makes an effort to encourage these young swimmers for their extraordinary feat, they would continue to train in the Umiam river, also called Pagla Nadi (mad river) in Bangladesh for its furious rapids, which destroys anything in its wake, but certainly not the morale of these teens.