Athletes aged between 7 and 75 years competed across 12 age categories, with a total of 131 events held for men, women, boys and girls. The championship witnessed high levels of enthusiasm among participants, supported by efficient arrangements for broadcasting, seating and food, which added to the vibrant atmosphere at the venue. Winners in each event were awarded gold, silver and bronze medals.
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Continuing their medal-winning momentum after a strong showing at the Chivla Beach Open Water Finswimming event in Malvan, four masters finswimmers from the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Mahalunge-Balewadi, Pune, stood out at the national championship. Representing Team Maharashtra, the quartet secured a total of nine medals — four gold, three silver and two bronze.
Remarkably, all four gold medals won by Maharashtra at the championship came from these Balewadi-based athletes, despite the state fielding a contingent of nearly 100 competitors.
Veteran finswimmer Shirish Patki (65+ age group) led the charge with three gold medals and was also awarded the prestigious “Champion of Champions” Individual Championship Trophy. Patki, an Oceanman, ASCA-certified coach and technical official in finswimming, is a resident of Pimple Nilakh, Pune.
Other medal winners included Smita Katwe (45+), who won two silver and one bronze medal; Sudesh Patki (45+), who secured a silver medal; and Niranjan Kurhe (35+), who added one gold and one bronze to Maharashtra’s tally.
All four gold medals won by Team Maharashtra were clinched by athletes training at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex swimming pool, underlining Balewadi’s growing prominence in national-level finswimming.
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