Tata Steel Training Centre swimmers, who made the cut to the ICSE National Swimming Championship, pose in Jamshedpur on Wednesday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Twenty-three swimmers, 10 girls among them, from Tata Steel Training Centre in Jamshedpur, have made it to the state squad and will take part in the ICSE National Swimming Championship to be held at Mysore on October 15 and 16.

The swimmers, students of different ICSE-affiliated schools, left for the venue on Wednesday.

“We are glad that so many of our swimmers will participate in the national meet. We hope they return with a lot of medals,” said Charles Borromeo, senior manager of Tata Steel sports department.

The swimmers in the boys’ section include Gourav Kumar, D. Balajee, Rohit Kumar, Anand Kumar, Arfin Iqbal, Karan Rebelo, Mridul Mayank, Arun Raghuvanshi, Akash Mahanty, Akash Neel, Anirban Kumar, Anil B. Rao and Bipul Kumar while Kirti Agrawal, Revti Shah, Bhavya Barma, S. Darshana, Samiksha Krishnan, Tulip Shah, Diya Agrawal, Troheta Bhuia, Aditi Singh and Ekta Kumari comprise the girls’ outfit.

Selected swimmers will represent the state in 50m and 100m fly and breast stroke. Training centre in-charge Firoz Khan said the swimmers were picked on the basis of their performance in the ICSE Zone Championship at Motilal Nehru Public School in August.

“Our trainees are in fine fettle and have a bright chance of claiming medals at the Mysore national meet. They have shaped up well for the upcoming event,” he added.

Opened in 2007, Tata Steel Training Centre inside the JRD Tata Sports Complex has gradually emerged as a destination for aspiring swimmers and for those who swim for health. It is also a boon for those not members of elite clubs with swimming pools.

Over 800 trainees are currently learning to swim at the 50m x 21m facility.

While Rs 700 per season — between April and November — is charged from Tata Steel employees and their dependants, non-employees have to fork out Rs 500 a month.

Three coaches train the swimmers while an equal number of lifeguards keep watch.