Swimming in India

One of the most loved activities throughout the world; people of all ages indulge in the swimming, as it is ideally one of the best ways to exercise all the muscles of the body without any additional pressure. Regular swimming builds muscle strength, endurance and also enhances the cardio-vascular fitness of the person. Swimming usually is multidimensional - while some indulge in swimming for recreation, there are others who take it up as a competitive sport, yet others for whom swimming is a means of earning their daily livelihood. In India, swimming is widely popular in all the three aspects - as a general activity, sporting event as well as occupational reasons.

Talking about swimming as a competitive sport, it has been a part of the modern Olympic Games, since inception in 1896. Governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), the goal of the competition is to be the fastest over a given distance. Swimming became extremely popular in the 19th century and since then there has been no looking back. In India, competitive swimming is managed by the Swimming Federation of India (SFI), an apex body that is affiliated to FINA, the world governing body. SFI is the result of an amalgamation of National Swimming Association (NSA) and the Indian Swimming Federation (ISF). To get detailed information about swimming as a sport in India, read through this section.

Swimming in India Swimming Federation of India Famous Indian Swimmers Bula Chowdhury | Khazan Singh | Mihir Sen

Shooting in India

In India, shooting is generally regarded as an expensive sport, which only the affluent, powerful and the talented with institutional support can pursue as a serious career. This is the reason why the sport remains as the secondary choice of the sports enthusiasts in India. Nonetheless, with the good work of Indian shooters coming into limelight, more and more youngsters are opting for shooting sport as their profession. Today, shooting has proved to be a stiff competitor of games including cricket and badminton, which score more in popularity.

The recent achievements of veteran shooters like Abhinav Bindra (who won the first individual Olympic gold medalist for India) and Major Rajyavardhan Rathore (who won the silver medal in Men's Double Trap at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens) have become the role models for the young Indian shooters. Now, more and more shooters are working hard to prove their dexterity in shooting at the international level and bring laurels to the country. The National Rifle Association has played its part in uplifting the standard of shooting as a sport in India. The organization has helped the Indian shooters a great deal in getting international exposure and concentrate on their honing skills.

Shooting Sport in India History of Shooting Sport in India | National Rifle Association of India Famous Indian Shooters Abhinav Bindra | Anjali Bhagwat | Jaspal Rana | Dr. Karni Singh | Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore | Randhir Singh |Samresh Jung