Khelo India champions set to debut at the CGS

NEW DELHI: Set to make their debut at next month’s Commonwealth Games, teenagers Manu Bhaker and Srihari Nataraj are two prodigious talents who emerged as champions from the Khelo India School Games, government’s ambitious flagship programme.

While Manu shot her way to a gold in women’s 10m Air Pistol with a score of 241.1 in the finals to rewrite her own final national record of 240.5 set at the National Shooting Championship in December, Srihari broke his own 100meter backstroke national record while winning six gold and a silver medal at the Khelo India School Games.

Srihari said his participation in Khelo India was part of his training ahead of the CWG.

“I was aiming for a 56.50 finish since I am preparing for the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires and the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast,” Srihari had said after clocking 56.90 seconds in the 100m backstroke to improve on his own National record of 56.99 which he clocked in Tashkent last year.

Srihari started swimming when he was about two years old. A handful for his mother, the toddler was sent to a swimming pool with his elder brother so that the house could stay in order for at least a couple of hours.

It wasn’t long before Srihari got addicted to the underwater moves and swimming turned into his passion.

“It is a race against the clock and I want to do my best,” says the 17-year-old Srihari.

Manu, on the other hand, took to shooting just a little over two years ago and has consistently performed well in global and domestic tournaments.