NAGPUR: When it was time for 8 to 9 years old kids to snuggle up in blankets, they were seen battling the cold wearing swimming costumes at NIT Swimming Pool on January 16 and 17.
In the teeth-chattering cold, the kids were made to wait for their event till 11 pm and beyond by the Nagpur District Amateur Aquatic Association, organizer of swimming competition under Khasdar Krida Mahotsav, a brainchild of Union minister Nitin Gadkari. The chaotic management of the entire swimming event drew flak from parents, players and coaches.
On Tuesday, the under-8 and under-9 events were planned late in the night. Swimmers — both girls and boys — were asked to report at 8pm and they kept the event in the end. When the wait started becoming frustrating, coaches and parents made repeated appeals to the organizer to hold the event sooner. However, their requests fell on deaf ears.
"We do not understand why the competition was planned only in the evening when the pool is available from morning hours. The kids were waiting for more than an hour in their swimming costumes after the shower. Some were shivering well before the event started," said a participant's father.
One of the organizers told TOI that the event was held in the night as many participants had their school exams in the morning hours. "To ensure maximum participation, we kept the events in the evening," he said.
The last date of entry for the swimming competition was January 1. However, the deadline was breached by the decision makers themselves by allowing many swimmers after January 1.
"We do not understand why there was a delay of 15 days to hold the event and complete it in 2 days. It could have easily been planned over 5 days for smooth conduct," said a senior swimmer of the city.
Many players complained that there was not enough gap between two events. The organizers kept backstroke and breaststroke events on the same day and did not keep sufficient gaps between the two. "This led to players not being 100% for the next event. It could have easily been planned over two days," a player from the youth category said.
