On any given day, for five to six hours, you are most likely to find Partha Majumder shouting “faster”... “speed up”. Yes, he is Calcutta’s Khidda. The 41-year-old swimmer-turned coach is all set to talent-spot and train for the next two Olympics. t2 caught up with him at Bengal Rowing Club, in between laps and strokes.
Partha Profile
Who: Partha Pratim Majumder
Where is he from: Kalikapur
What does he do: Swimming coach
Claim to fame: Has been picked to find and train young Indian swimmers for the future
Picture: Rashbehari Das
Talent-spot for Olympics
A well-known face in the Calcutta swimming circuit, Partha is all set to take the reins of the Talent Identification, Development and Management programme in New Delhi as its head coach. The programme is a joint initiative of Glenmark Aquatic Foundation and Sports Authority of India which aims to talent-spot and train swimming stars from all over India for the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.
The 41-year-old Kalikapur resident (off the EM Bypass) is currently serving as the head coach of Indian Life Saving Society, Tollygunge Club, The Young Men’s Christian Association, The Saturday Club, The Calcutta Swimming Club and Bengal Rowing Club. He also has swimming camps at Ordnance Club and CC&FC.
Just what the doctor ordered
A bout of whooping cough saw a seven-year-old Partha land up in the swimming pool way back in 1982, as per a doctor’s advice. And, he fell in love. “I went on to take part in my first nationals in 1985 where I finished with a bronze,” he said. Soon he would be lapped up by Team Railways and the Income Tax Department and the champion swimmer won many an accolade till he decided it was time to switch roles.
“Once I was done swimming myself, I wanted to remain associated with the sport. So I took up coaching. Soon, I realised I needed to know a lot more techniques to be able to teach my students properly. So I gave an exam and went to USA in 2004 for the World Coach’s Clinic. I stayed back as a guest coach at a club called The Fish, in Virginia.”
He finally came back to the country after getting an offer to be a part of the National Coach Panel. He is a FINA (International Swimming Federation) certified ASCA (American Swimming Coaches Association) level-5 certified swimming coach.
Target: 10 swimmers from India
Partha has always wanted to contribute at the national level as a coach. And his Delhi trip has left him “impressed”. “I didn’t have much of an idea about Talent Identification, Development and Management programme, but when I went to New Delhi for my interview, I was really impressed with the infrastructure,” he said. To start with, New Delhi and Mumbai will be hosting the camps, with a blueprint to expand further in the years to come.
Partha will head the one in the capital. And he has his plans chalked out. “We have so many talented swimmers in a country of billions, yet we only have three or four Indians making it to the Olympics in swimming. That’s what I want to change. In future, we want at least 10 from India,” he said.
S for swim, S for schools
In the age of Zumba and MMA, is swimming still as popular among youngsters? “Having seen the circuit for quite a few years, I can tell you that swimming is a very happening sport in Calcutta! I love kids playing any sort of sport but swimming enjoys a different status in this city.” Though he will be away in Delhi for a bit, camps in Calcutta will make a splash. And once that happens, he wants to come back here.
“We’ve started an organisation with a group of swimming enthusiasts called ‘Born To Swim’ which hosts School Swimming Ranking, an annual meet of the top schools of Calcutta. They are the future. Earlier we only used to get swimmers from the rural areas, but now we want to promote it in Calcutta as well, through this platform,” he said.
Partha 2.0
No wonder, Partha has passed on his passion to son Upal, a Class VIII student at South City International School. “I never forced him to get into swimming, but he just loves it. He’s grown up to be a backstroker just like me… I guess it’s all about genes (laughs). I want to take it slow with him. I want him to reserve his best for the university level and not burn out by then,” smiled the proud dad.
t2 says all the best!
He has taken swimming to the next level in the world. He’s made the sport so much more popular! So if I had to choose my favourite, it would have to be him.
TAKE THE PLUNGE, BUT...
- First float and learn how to balance your body in the water and control breathing. Don’t try and start swimming from the start.
- Enjoy your swim. Don’t be scared of water and even if you are, don’t let someone force you in to the water. That’s not how it works.
- Don’t splash water; it wastes your energy. Touch the water with your middle finger first to avoid splashing water.
- Do a lot of drills and exercises before you swim. Candle light blowing under water, is one example. It improves your lung capacity.
I love swimming because.... Tell us at t2@abp.in
