No professional swimmer will be denied access to pool for delay in payment of charges, says Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner

No professional swimmer will be denied access at the Yemmekere international swimming pool for delay in payment of pool charges, Deputy Commissioner H.V. Darshan has said.

Talking to The Hindu, Mr. Darshan said clear instructions have been given to We One Aqua, the firm that bagged the contract to manage the pool, not to deny any athlete access to the pool.

“We cannot allow coaches (of athletes) to accompany their wards using the pool and coach them. If there is delay in payment of pool chargers, he/she should not be denied from practising in the pool,” Mr. Darshan said.

The new pool was built to train swimmers for national and international competitions. Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL) built the pool on two-acres of land in Yemmekere, which was once a waterbody. It has a 10-lane 50mX25m pool, a five-lane practice pool, and a kids’ pool on the second floor. A gymnasium, restrooms, and other facilities for swimmers are on the first floor. The Minister for Urban Development and Planning inaugurated the new swimming complex on November 24, 2023. Soon after, MSCL handed over the new complex to the Department of Youth Services and Sports, which approved the tender of We One Aqua to run the pool.

The newly formed Dakshina Kannada District Swimming Association demanded that coaches of swimmers should be allowed to hold training sessions at the new pool. They also demanded waiver of pool charges for one year from the date that athletes bag medals in recognised national swimming events.

While We One Aqua denied the entry of coaches, it waived, since February 2025, the pool charges of ₹2,000 for seven athletes who won medals in 2024-25. Concessional pool charges were collected from swimmers representing the State in national events. The remaining athletes were being charged at a rate of ₹2,000 per month for usage of pool for five hours a day. A total of 40 athletes were undergoing training at the Yemmekere pool.

During a recent Karnataka Development Programme Review Committee meeting chaired by district In-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, Ivan D’Souza, MLC, said each athlete has a coach and that coach should be allowed while his/her ward practises in the pool. Mr. Darshan said he had checked with pools across the State and has not found any instance of allowing coaches when their wards practise at a swimming pool..

Mr. Rao had directed Mr. Darshan to hold meeting with all stakeholders and ensure that facilities at the new pool were used in the right way.