Millennium School's Diya shines in India

Dubai: Diya Mammen of The Millennium School, Dubai, has done the UAE proud by bagging a silver and bronze medal in the CBSE National Swimming meet held in India.

She competed against top swimmers from India and the Gulf.

Diya bagged the silver in 50-metre and bronze in the 100m breaststroke events.

"The competition was very tough but I gave my best. Every time I enter a pool I aim to improve my performance. Hopefully, next time I will win a gold medal too," Diya told Gulf News.

Diya trains in her school's 25m pool but adjusted to the challenges of the 50m pool in India.

"The pool looked bigger but since I had trained hard, morning and evening before my departure, it was not at all a problem to compete," added the Class VIII student.

The Millennium School had qualified for the CBSE National meet by emerging triumphant in CBSE Gulf Zonal Swimming Meet. Loshini Parghavi, Sai Prasad Shetty, Joseph Rajan Job, Leon Aaron Lewis and Diya thus qualified for the nationals in India.

"I began swimming from the age of four but participated in competitions only from the age of 9. I owe a lot to my parents, who have encouraged me always, my coach Benny Joseph and our school principal Michael Guzder, who takes active interest and lauds my efforts and my colleagues'," said Diya, who had won three gold medals in individual events during the CBSE Gulf Zonal Swimming Meet held in Doha in 2007.