Everyone has a fair chance but I feel quite confident of a medal finish at the Asiad, says Sandeep Sejwal
Sandeep Sejwal, who missed the 2018 CWG due to an ankle injury, feels that all the teams participating in the Asian games would have an equal chance for the medal, but insists that he is confident of a medal at the event. Sejwal feels that China and Korea would the toughest opponents at the Asiad.
Indian swimmer, Sandeep Sejwal didnât have a good start to the season, after he failed to recover from an ankle injury ahead of the qualifying event for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Sejwal had sustained the injury in February, and despite all his efforts, he was unable to recover to full fitness for CWG 2018. Â
Sejwal, who won the bronze medal in the last edition of Asiad, has recovered from his injury and has started preparing for the Asian Games 2018. And ahead of it, he stated that he is confident of winning a medal for the country and the disappointment of the CWG has kept him motivated for the upcoming event.Â
âI think I'm on track for the event, apart from the foot fracture that I sustained before the CWG trials. I'm done with my rehab so I am holding up confident. I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself or stress about it. I have once won a medal at the Asian Games, so I know I can do it again,â Sandeep Sejwal said in an interview with TOI.Â
âI'll just give my 100 percent and enjoy. In the process, if I win, it'll be just like a cherry on top. I could not participate in the CWG, and that is something that has kept me motivated to do well at the Asian Games.â
He insisted that swimming has been growing at a rapid pace in the country and well-established companies like Speedo coming into the picture has given a much-needed boost to the players. He pointed out that private academies and clubs have grown in the country and the infrastructure has become accessible to youngsters. He hoped that this pattern would continue to grow in the future. Â
On being asked on his chance to win the medal at Asiad, he said, âWith the ankle getting stronger and the kind of experience I have, I would give myself a chance. That being said, I wouldn't be overconfident about it because other swimmers are training equally hard. Everyone has a fair chance but I feel quite confident of a medal finish at the Asiad.â
Sejwal pointed out that China and Korea would be the toughest opponents for India in the race of medals at Asian Games. He appreciated the governmentâs initiative to include Sajjan Prakash and Shrihari Nataraj in the TOP scheme and insisted that such initiatives would help the game grow at a rapid pace.Â
âShrihari is 18 years old and is the youngest to qualify for the Asian Games; his timings are quite impressive. A time trial for the Asian Games in taking place next month, so there will be quite a few young swimmers who have a bright future ahead,â he said.Â
On being asked about his idol in the game, he said, âCameron van der Burgh. He's a former world record holder in my favourite event. I had once been to Austria to train with the coach he used to train with. Unfortunately, he wasn't available when I went there. I was there for three weeks in Austria, hoping that I would get a chance to train with him. But that never happened.â