Asian Games 2018 | Sandeep Sejwal believes that he can do better than Incheon
Indian swimmer, Sandeep Sejwal has stated that he can better his bronze medal performance at the 2014 Games in the 2018 Games. The Indian national record holder, who recently beat defending Olympic Champion Joseph Schooling in Malaysia, added that he has been preparing for Indonesia for three years.
Sejwal is a senior national champion and a national record holder of 50m, 100m, and 200m breaststroke events. He won silver medals at the Asian Indoor Games in 2007, in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events. Sejwal also managed to bring home a bronze medal from the Asian Games in 2014 which were held in Incheon.
However, Sejwal believes that he has the ability to achieve something bigger than what he did at Incheon. He also mentioned that he couldn't perform at the Commonwealth Games, held in Gold coast earlier this year, because of an ankle injury and that is why he has been waiting for three years now so that he can participate in the Asian Games 2018.
“Asian Games was my prime target for the last three years. I’ve been tracking my performance and am happy with my preparations. I think I can do better than a bronze,” Sejwaltold PTI.
“The Singapore win came at the right time. It definitely is a good motivator, coming just a month and a half before the Asian Games,” commented Sejwal about his gold medal in the 50m breaststroke event (27:59 seconds) in Singapore National Swimming Championship in June.
Sejwal said that he is currently in great shape and has a very positive outlook towards handling pressure.
“Racing is the best part of swimming. Winning that medal (four years ago) helps. I’ve raced for medals and competed against myself for years, now I want to enjoy the experience of racing,” Sejwal commented about how he wants to enjoy his swimming rather than reducing his capability by taking
The Indian swimmer also pointed out Japanese swimmers and Dmitriy Balandin of Kazakhstan as the biggest competitors for him in Indonesia. However, he said that he wanted to himself calm and doesn't want to let such things affect his mindset.
“My biggest competition is myself because to compete at that level at my age is very difficult, especially to train for such an event. As you get older, the recovery factor also comes in,” said the Nihar Ameen trainee.
“Right now, mentally, I am looking at just the Asian Games. Depending on my performance, if I get selected for other events, I might continue. But to me, it seems like maybe, at the international stage, it could be the last. If I can swim till 2020, that will be great."