Mangaluru, Sep 9 : Mangaluru, for the very first time, will host the 77th Senior National Aquatic Championships 2024 at the state-of-the-art International Aquatic Complex, Yemmekere. The four-day sporting extravaganza, set to begin on Tuesday and conclude on Friday, September 13, will have more than 500 participants from across the country.

Two-time Olympian and national record holder in 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke, Srihari Nataraj, expressed his eagerness saying, 'It is very exciting that the 77th Senior National Aquatic Championships 2024 is happening in Mangaluru for the first time. This is a great opportunity for swimmers in India to showcase their potential and garner more support for swimming in the country. I am looking forward to being in my best form and I will be vying for Gold in all my events and make use of the home advantage.'

The 77th Senior National Aquatic Championships 2024 will not only feature top swimmers from India but will also see a strong contingent from defending champions Karnataka. Olympian and backstroke sensation Nataraj, breaststroke sprinter Likith S P, national record holder and freestyle specialist Aneesh Gowda will take part in the races among other promising swimmers of our country like S Siva, Pruthvi, Anand A S, Mihir Amre, Rishabh Das, Devansh Parmar, Dhanush S, Sonu Debnath and Yug Chelani. Among women, the prominent swimmers to look for are Harshita Jayaram, Manavi Verma, Pratishta Dangi, Aastha Choudhary, Vritti Agarwal, Antika Chavan, Shivangi Sharma and Bhavya Sachdeva.

'It is a true honour and pride for us to host the 77th Senior National Aquatic Championships 2024 in Mangaluru under the Karnataka Swimming Association's umbrella. We are geared up to ensure the event is a mega success and that every participant will return home with memories they would cherish for a lifetime,' expressed Gopal B Hosur, IPS (Rtd), president of the organising committee.

It will be a crucial meet for Indian swimmers as the 'A' Qualification mark for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is up for grabs. At the recent Paris Olympics 2024, Nataraj had a commendable outing as he improved the best Indian performance record at the Olympics.

'This is the largest Aquatic Championships in India. The last time Karnataka hosted this event was in 2021 at Bengaluru and I am sure this Championships hosted at Mangaluru will spur the popularity of the sport with aspiring swimmers getting to watch their icons live in action. I am confident the Indian swimmers will make use of the International facility and take advantage to surpass the previous year's performance," stated Monal Chokshi, secretary general, Swimming Federation of India.

/IANS