Rayna Saldanha of Billabong High has upstaged the long standing record of Indian swimming legend Anita Sood at the district level Senior GMA, held at Tata Pool in Mumbai's Chembur
In what could be a bright day for Indian swimming, 12-year-old Billabong High student Rayna Saldanha has upstaged the long standing record of Indian swimming legend Anita Sood at the district level Senior GMA, held in Tata Pool (Chembur, Mumbai), on Tuesday. Rayna, currently in Class 8, participated in three events and managed a haul of two gold and one silver medals, and also overhauled the national record in the process.
The precocious youngster won gold in the 200 metres individual medley, and also a silver and a gold medal in the 800 metres and 1500 metres free stroke events respectively. This excellent performance also helped Rayna clinch a runner-up spot in the Best Swimmers category.
The Senior GMA event is a Mumbai district swim meet, which would determine qualification for senior state and senior national tournaments.
And the commendable fact is that Rayna managed to break Sood's record despite the presence of more older and talented swimmers in the 200 metres individual medley category.
Another notable point is that no swimmer in Mumbai district has managed to break Sood's long standing record over the years, with young Rayna definitely poised to achieve even greater things in the years to come.
The Swimming Federation of India (SFI) holds three different national meets annually, the first being a sub-junior level, for under-10 and under-12 swimmers, the second being the junior level, for under-14 and under-17 children, and the last being the senior level, for elite category swimmers, who are 17 years old and above.
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