Mission 2032: IIS joins hands with Mizuho Bank to launch swimming programme, aims for A-category qualifications for Indian swimmers
The Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) has partnered with Mizuho Bank to launch a flagship Swimming Programme in India. As a part of the project, the IIS is all set to support 30 high-potential swimmers, the organisation announced on July 2, 2024.
The Inspire Institute of Sport is India's first privately funded high performance training centre and the country's largest Olympic Sports development platform which provides scholarship to over 800 athletes across Karnataka, Manipur, Himachal Pradesh, and Haryana.
It also provides access to world class infrastructure, coaching, sports science support and an integrated academic curriculum which helps in nurturing the top talents in the country.
Mizuho, on the other hand, has five branches and four legal entities in India. The company has been in existence for the past 28 years and has over 1000 employees serving Japanese and non-Japanese clients.
In a press conference held on Tuesday, July 2, founder of the Inspire Institute of Sport, Parth Jindal has said that the success of this programme will be measured by the amount of A-category qualifications India have in Olympics 2032.
He went on to say that if an A-category qualification is achieved in 2032, India will definitely be expecting a medal from their swimming contingent in Olympics 2036, hopefully on their home turf.
Swimming is a top global sport. In the upcoming Paris Olympics, there will be a total of 111 medals up for grabs, the second-most after athletics. Moreover, India needs to enhance its performance in the swimming vertical too. Keeping these in mind, the IIS has partnered with Mizuho Bank. Their main aim lies in developing swimming as a major sport in India.
Which athletes are part of Mizuho's swimming programme?
Top-notch young Indian swimmers like Maana Patel, Kushagra Rawat, Ishaan Mehra, Astha Choudhury, Ashmitha Chandra and Bikram Changmai are a few notable names among those who are a part of the Mizuho Elite Swimming Programme. The IIS also has a satellite centre in Odisha, which helps in the development of more than 4000 young swimmers in its 'Learn to Swim' programme.