Winning a CWG medal won't be an impossible dream : Virdhawal Khade

03/22/2018

India's top swimming hope Virdhawal Khade feels that returning home with a medal from Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast isn't an impossible proposition. He has also admitted that the event will serve as a perfect platform to test his preparations for the more challenging Asian Games later this year.

Virdhawal Khade made headlines in 2008 when he became the youngest ever Indian swimmer to qualify for Olympics at the age of 16. Although he failed to make it to the semis in his events, he did set a new national record of 50.07 seconds while competing in the heats of the 100m freestyle. In 2010, he won a bronze medal in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in the 50m butterfly category. However, being a government officer, he was forced to take a break from swimming after being posted in the coastal Konkan region.

Khade revealed that his first aim will be to try and qualify for the finals in his event and if he is able to do that, winning a medal won't be an impossible dream.

“My first target is to qualify for the finals, and if that happens, I will try my best though I know winning medals is difficult if not impossible. Though India is fielding only a three-member team including Sajan Prakash and Srihari, I feel we have a chance especially since Srihari has filled the void of India’s weakness in the backstroke,” Khade wrote in his column in TOI.

The 26-year old won a gold medal at the Asian Age-Group championship in Singapore and it only adds to his confidence. Also, he has worked hard with coach Nihar Ameen over the last 5 months.

“I have been among the top 50 FINA swimmers when I was swimming consistently and I will be looking to get back up there in the coming few months. In that sense, this gold medal in Singapore at the Asian Age-Group championship adds to my confidence,” the swimmer added.

“For me, the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast will be an ideal stage to test my preparations for the more challenging Asian Games. I will be participating in two events in 50 metres — freestyle and butterfly—and given the way I have shaped up, I think anything is possible. But one cannot discount the swimmers from Australia, Great Britain and South Africa, who all have won medals at a much bigger stage — the Olympics,” he wrote.

The Commonwealth Games will take place in Gold Coast (Australia) from April 4-15.

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