Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jun 6: The Dakshina Kannada District Swimming Association has come down heavily on the management of the Smart City Swimming Pool at Emmekere, accusing them of mismanagement, unfair treatment of local swimmers, and failing to honour government directives.

At a press meet held in the city, Association president Yatish Baikampady voiced serious concerns over the neglect of local swimmers who have long trained under tight schedules and challenging conditions. He emphasised that athletes currently train at the Mangala Swimming Pool, run by the Mangaluru City Corporation, since 1987. The rigorous practice timings from 5–7 am and 7.30–9.30 pm have been taking a toll on swimmers, allowing them only around five hours of rest.

Despite repeated appeals over the last 15 years for an alternative training facility, the association says that the newly constructed Emmekere Swimming Pool, built under the Smart City Mission specifically for sports swimmers, was abruptly handed over to V One Aquatics, a private organization, via a tender. This, they allege, has effectively barred local swimmers from using the pool during appropriate practice hours since December 2024.

The association points out that although chief minister Siddaramaiah, MLC Ivan D’Souza, MLA Vedavyas Kamath, and minister Dinesh Gundu Rao have all directed officials to reserve 11 hours daily at Emmekere for sports training, no action has been taken by the concerned departments even after two months. This inaction has led to mounting frustration among the swimming community and has raised suspicions of collusion and negligence.

Currently, 38 medal-winning swimmers are granted free access to the Mangala pool. A similar provision for Emmekere was ordered by the in-charge minister, yet remains unimplemented. The association also alleges that swimmers from outside Karnataka are being prioritized at Emmekere, despite the pool being constructed for local athletes.

The facility, which cost around Rs 24.94 crore, was meant to serve the district’s sports talents. Yet, the operational cost of Rs 5 lakh per month and Rs 2 crore allocated for maintenance has not prevented the pool from being leased out. The association claims that training was imparted to the private firm using district resources, which they deem as an act of fraud.

Citing a government order dated May 31, 2025, to the District Collector to take action, the association demanded an urgent intervention. They questioned the role of the Smart City managing director, general manager, and the Assistant Director of Youth Empowerment and Sports Department, alleging that their silence and inaction point to possible misconduct.

Present at the press conference were Yogish Bhat, Dr Mohan Alva, Mahesh Kumar, and D Kannan, who echoed the concerns and expressed deep disappointment over the apathy of authorities in safeguarding the interests of budding swimmers from the district.

The association has urged the state government to ensure immediate corrective steps, restore equal access for D K district swimmers, and investigate the alleged irregularities in the pool’s operation and tendering process.