Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation handed over the Deshbandhu Park swimming pool in north Kolkata to the Bengal Amateur Swimming Association (BASA), giving the association a dedicated pool for its swimmers.Set up in 1938, BASA produced several ace swimmers over the years, including Arjuna Awardee and Padma Shri recipient Bula Choudhury, first Asian woman to swim the English Channel twice; Supriya Mondal, who represented India in the Youth Olympic Games and won the bronze in 200m backstroke at the 55th Singapore National Age Group Championships; and Akbar Ali Mir, who represented India in international competitions during the early years of Indian swimming.Swimmers in the state traditionally trained at different pools and clubs affiliated to BASA. In recent years, pre-competition swimming camps were held in a pool at Subhas Sarobar. Following the handover of the Olympic-size (50 m × 25 m) Deshbandhu Park swimming pool, the camps will henceforth be held there.“The Deshbandhu Park swimming complex will play a vital role in strengthening the aquatic ecosystem of Bengal. BASA plans to organise state championships, specialised training camps, and structured talent identification programmes at the facility. We are also focusing on developing the venue into a major aquatic training hub for north Kolkata. In the long run, BASA aims to upgrade the facility to host high-level competitions and advanced coaching programmes,” said BASA secretary Kankan Panigrahi.BASA has also launched its digital platform and website. Inaugurated by BASA president Debasish Kumar, it will improve communication, athlete registration, event management, competition updates, and public access to swimming activities across the state, marking a new era of transparency and digital integration for the association.
