School students and youngsters practise swimming at the summer training camp at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, May 14: Fifty young and not-so-young people are attending the swimming and scuba diving summer camp conducted by scuba diver Sabir Bux. The month-long camp began on May 1.

While the youngsters are being taught swimming at the camp, those who are already adept in swimming can be seen trying their hands at snorkelling and scuba diving. Some of the participants are as young as three.

“Most of the participants are schoolchildren. At first, we squeeze out the fear of water from them and they develop an affinity for water. In the long run, such camps help in the development of water sports in Odisha, which is in very bad shape,” said Bux, who is teaching basic swimming skills such as floating, kicking, paddling, bubbling and breathing.

“We had gone to Bangkok for a vacation and there, we saw a woman drown in the sea close to the beach. This has created a fear in my mind and I want my son to learn swimming,” said Soumya Mahapatra, whose four-year-old son Naman is taking part in the camp.

Some parents are also joining their kids. “I had brought my four kids to the camp but I decided to join it too. Bux is a good instructor who is focusing on every individual participant,” said Dibyajyoti Patnaik, a 46-year-old businessman.

The participants are presently training in the four-feet deep pool and will gradually be taken to seven and 18 feet pools.

Bux, who has been imparting training in water sports since 1988 and runs a training centre called Kalinga Divers at Ramachandi Beach, has brought nine trainers. One of them is Manaswini Moharana, who had won 12 gold medals in the National Windsurfing Championship held at Goa in 2012.

The workshop, which takes place between 10am and 4pm, also gives the participants respite from the sweltering heat. The camp is charging Rs 4,000 for swimming and Rs 7,000 for scuba diving. It will conclude on May 31.

“The response has been amazing and we are planning to extend the camp if that is possible,” said the ace scuba diver.