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Indian para swimming's rising star Himanshu Nandal has taken a decisive step towards his Asian Para Games 2026 campaign, commencing a one-month high performance training camp at Loughborough University, England one of the world's most respected elite sports training hubs, according to a release.
The camp marks the start of a carefully planned long term build up towards the Asian Para Games, which stands as Nandal's primary target for the season. Instead of chasing immediate results, the focus will be on sharpening technical efficiency, which will be the cornerstone of success at the highest level of para swimming. "At this stage of my career, technique is everything," said Nandal. "Underwaters, dive starts, flip and tumble turns are areas where races are won or lost. This camp allows me to work deeply on those aspects across all four strokes Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Freestyle." Training overseas also offers Nandal an uninterrupted high-performance environment, something that is difficult to sustain in his home base of Delhi due to extreme weather and pollution. "Consistency is critical for elite performance. The UK setup gives me the right conditions to train regularly and stay mentally focused," he added. At Loughborough, Nandal will once again train under coach Andrew Wallace, with whom he previously worked during a successful training phase in mid-2025. That collaboration extended remotely through the World Para Swimming Championships, where Nandal produced a breakthrough performance by reaching two international finals. "That phase worked exceptionally well, so returning to the same system at this point is a natural progression," he explained, as per the release. With close to 40 weeks remaining before the Asian Para Games, the timing of the camp is deliberate. "We are right at the start of the season. Building consistency and correcting posture now will pay off across the year. These changes may not immediately reflect in personal bests, but they create long term performance gains," Nandal noted, as per the release. Blind since birth due to optic nerve failure, Nandal took up competitive para swimming only in 2021 and has since rewritten Indian para swimming history. Born on 25 May 2004 in Rohtak, Haryana, he is a multiple time national champion, national record holder in events offered at paraolympic S11 category, the first Indian blind swimmer to achieve the MQS for Paris 2024, a former Asian Para Games representative, and a two-time finalist at the World Para Swimming Championships. "Para swimming made me feel equal, not different," Nandal reflected. "India is growing as a sporting nation, but para swimming still needs greater visibility. International training not only improves performance but also helps us bring back learning that can inspire and guide young para swimmers in India." He added "I thank GoSports Foundation for providing support for this stint." (ANI)
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