Bengaluru: Karnataka reaffirmed its status as India’s swimming powerhouse after 18 swimmers from the state were named in the 40-member Indian squad for the 12th Asian Age Group Championships in Bangkok from July 17 to 25. The tournament will be held across three age categories — Group A (17-18 years), Group B (15-16 years) and Group C (13-14 years).Leading the contingent is Paris Olympian Dhinidhi Desinghu, who will spearhead India’s campaign in Group B. Dhinidhi will compete in the 100m, 200m, and 400m freestyle events besides three relay competitions. Joining her are several established age-group swimmers, including Dharshan S, who has a packed competition featuring in the 100m, 200m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle, along with two relay events.Karnataka’s overwhelming presence reflects the state’s sustained dominance at the national level, with its swimmers consistently topping medal tables and producing international representatives.Dhinidhi credited Karnataka’s aquatics ecosystem for the strong representation. “A major factor is that we have a lot of infrastructure. Plus, coaches like Nihar Ameen coach here. All big coaches coach within Bangalore. I feel there isn’t enough of it anywhere else in India,” the teenager told TOI.Featuring in the competition for the second time, Dhinidhi heads in with a lot of expectation. “I completed Senior Nationals just a month ago. I had expected a lot more out of myself. I was determined to get the times I wanted, but they didn’t really come. But I think that is what sport is. Ups and downs are part of the process. So, one month, we had a lot of training. I think it will go quite well. The whole squad is quite strong this time, and we will come back with a strong result,” the 16-year-old said on Tuesday.
