Incheon: Only the fourth Indian to clinch a swimming medal in the Asian Games, Sandeep Sejwal today said his bronze in the 50m breaststroke event here is a dream realised after eight years of hard work with his coach Nihar Ameen.
“I shifted from Delhi to Bangalore eight years ago and worked very hard. I have always wanted to win a medal in the Asian Games. It's a dream come true. If I had not won the medal today, I would have felt the time I had spent in Bangalore was a waste,” the 25-year-old Sejwal told reporters here.
Sejwal, drawn in lane 5, was leading till the 40metre mark before he fell behind Kazakhstan's Dmitry Balandin and Japan's Yasuko Koseki to clinch the third place in 28.26s, after having clocked a 28.25s in the semifinal heats earlier today to qualify for the evening finals.
The bronze won by Sejwal is only the fourth—after Sachin Nag's gold in the men's 100m freestyle in the inaugural Asian Games in Delhi (1951), Khazan Singh's silver in the 200m butterfly in 1986 at Seoul and Virdhawal Khade's bronze four years ago at Guangzhou in the 100m butterfly—medal for the country in the core sport of swimming.
“Four years ago Virdhawal won a bronze. Today I have also won. I feel very proud. I have spoken to my mom after winning the bronze,” said Sejwal.
His coach Ameen said he was very happy that the only two medals fetched by India in swimming after 1986 have been won by his proteges—Khade and Sejwal.
“We had focused on winning this medal over the last four years and worked very hard to achieve it,” said Ameen.
Sejwal, though not happy with the time he returned in the finals, said he thought he could have won the gold or silver at the 40m mark, a point endorsed by Ameen who said his ward had “a hiccup” (in terms of a stroke), otherwise would have finished higher on the podium.
