Bhubaneswar: A swim teacher’s training programme, under the supervision of Olympian Misha Millet, got underway at the KIIT campus on Friday.
JSW Sports’ upskilling programme, under the aegis of Odisha JSW Swimming High Performance Centre, will see Arjuna awardee and Australasian Council for Teaching of Swimming and Water safety (AUSTSWIM) presenter Nisha equip 20 Odisha coaches with latest practices of teaching swimming in a fun and safe manner.
Once certified, participants in the four-day programme will receive the globally-recognized AUSTSWIM licence to teach swimming.
The coaches will thereafter lead the Learn to Swim programmes that will be rolled out next month in 8 locations — Bhubaneshwar, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Boudh, Sonepur, Angul, Ganjam and Mayurbhanj.
Swimming Matters, who are facilitating this programme, have partnered with AUSTSWIM to bring high-quality aquatic education to India.
Odisha JSW Swimming High Performance Centre head coach Sharath Chandra Belave said: “16 swimming teachers have been selected by JSW Sports for the 8 districts along with 2 regional heads and 2 additional coaches from KIIT University. Altogether, 20 coaches are undergoing an intensive training programme which is a combination of both theoretical modules and supervised training (Practical sessions). The Swim Teachers’ training Programme has received a positive response from the participating coaches and it will benefit them immensely.”
Nisha, who represented India in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, was the first Indian to achieve the B qualification timings for Olympic Games. She runs the Nisha Millet Swimming Academy in Bengaluru.