HYDERABAD: In what comes as music to the ears of all those aspiring to make it big in water sports, especially water polo, a golden opportunity beckons them in that they can get to learn the basics and the nitty-gritty of the exciting sport, from one of the biggest achievers, in Hyderabad during the ensuing Christmas holidays.
Coming to India, and more importantly to be based in Hyderabad, will be Spanish water polo player Paula Leiton Arrones, who is the current toast of the world of water sport. She is fresh from a gold medal in the Paris Olympics 2024.
In order to invite her to conduct a camp-cum-clinic in Hyderabad, a delegation of the city-based Sports Village, which is to conduct the mega camp, met the golden girl in Barcelona on August 21.
The camp will be organised by Sports Village in collaboration with Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club (HPRC) at the latter’s ultra-modern half-sized Olympic swimming pool, which makes for an ideal venue for honing skills and becoming competition-ready. The camp will be open for Under-16 and Under-18 boys and girls.
The Sports Village team that met her comprised its CEO Mohammad Shamsuddin, member Syed Owais Quadri and Europa Sports Village promoter Joaquin Beana Martinez.
She has in principle agreed to visit and conduct the camp in Hyderabad, around Christmas.
In their interaction, she told the delegation that the ideal age to take to water sports is around 12 years by first concentrating on swimming. She explained about the skills that are needed for one to make a winning splash on the global firmament.
On her preparations for the Paris Games, she said that she trained for up to eight to nine hours everyday. Apart from physical fitness and dexterity, one has to be mentally tough to conquer the best of world competition, she opined.
The delegation and the 24-year-old Spaniard have had fruitful discussions on a range of topics. She enquired about the water polo scenario in India and what could be done to elevate the sport’s popularity.
Meanwhile, the dates, infrastructure requirements at the venue, the process to screen the trainees, fee structure and all other logistics are being worked out. They are expected to be finalised in their next round of interaction.
Sports Village and HPRC will be inviting students from schools and colleges and individuals to enrol in the swimming training programmes and thereafter attend water polo sessions that she will be conducting.
As the mentor, Paula Leiton Arrones is expected to nurture and build a strong Indian water polo team for the Los Angeles Olympics 2028. Sports Village endeavours to facilitate this dream.
Highlights
A delegation of Hyderabad-based Sports Village met champion Spanish water polo player Paula Leiton Arrones in Barcelona on August 21. They felicitated the Spaniard for her gold medal winning performance at Paris Olympics 2024.
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