Veteran Richa faces challenge from gen-next in the National Games swimming events

Eighteen-year-old Shrungi Bandekar, who was the star of the recent Khelo India University Games, will be Richa’s main rival

The past, present, and future of Indian swimming have assembled to make the field competitive when the aquatic events of the 36th National Games gets underway at the Sardar Patel Aquatic complex here on Sunday.

Nothing can be more contrasting than the presence of 39-year-old Richa Mishra, taking part in her sixth National Games, and a bevy of teenage national champions who were not even born when Richa took part in her first National Games in 1997. 

Fresh from winning the gold in 400m medley in the senior nationals, Richa is still hungry and keen to add more medals to her collection. 

Richa’s main rival will be the 18-year-old Shrungi Bandekar who was the star of the recent Khelo India University Games. 

Shrungi will be looking for revenge, and treat her loss to Richa at the nationals an aberration when the two generations square off again here.

The young Astha Choudhary of Assam, the national record holder in 100m butterfly, is another promising swimmer who is set to corner all the attention in the Games.