Udupi: Archana to Represent India in Swimming at Special Olympics Games-Australia

Udupi: Twenty Eight year old specially-abled Athlete Archana, daughter of K S Jai Vittal, Estate officer Manipal University will represent India in Swimming at the Special Olympics Asia Pacific, to be held in New Castle, Australia from December 1 to 7.

Addressing the media persons, Jai Vittal said that Archana had undergone yoga training when she was 18 months old at Swami Vivekananda Kendra, Bangalore. Later, she had been the student of  Humpty Dumpty Play School, Udupi; MKEPS, Manipal; VIKASANA School; and MANASA School, Pamboor. She is currently a resident of ASARE, a residential school and home for the mentally challenged which is a joint project of Archana Trust, Manipal. Archana has participated in the State level Olympics held at Pamboor and has won two 1st prizes, two 2nd prizes in swimming in the year 2003. She has also taken part in the Swimming competition held at Bangalore on 3rd & 4th Sept 2005. In 2009, she took part in the national level swimming competition and won one gold, one silver and one bronze for her State.

Archana was certified by Michael Phelps Foundation (USA) for her commendable achievements in swimming. This certification programme was held in Mysore Sports Club on 13/10/2012 in the presence of Karnataka State Swimming Association authorities, special athletes and their proud parents and relatives.
Archana has received the Udupi District Karnataka Rajyotsava Award-2012 for her achievements in sports. She has participated in the National Coaching Camp in BOCCEE game which was held at Hyderabad from 11 to 17 September 2011 while also taking part in the National Hand Ball Coaching Camp in Mumbai from 7 to 13 November and in Pondicherry from 28 Dec to 01 January 2012. She has also attended coaching camps for Badminton held at Bangalore. Besides this, she has been short listed for the Asia Pacific Special Olympics to be held at New Castle, Australia between 1-7 December 2013 during her coaching camp at Chennai in July 2013. Soon after that she attended a swimming coaching camp at Mandya in October 2013.
In December 2013, 2,500 Special Olympics athletes, 600 coaches and officials, over 4,000 volunteers and an estimated 200,000 spectators from over 32 countries in the Asia Pacific region will converge in the City of Newcastle to compete in the first ever Special Olympics Asia Pacific Games, 1-7 December 2013. Archana will be taking part in two events of Aquatics, 25M freestyle and 50M freestyle.

SOURCE: http://www.mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=440165