Srihari Nataraj: From Malleswaram by lanes to Olympic lanes

Bengaluru: "I don’t remember ever playing sports just for fun,” recalled Srihari Nataraj, Olympian swimmer and holder of eight national records, including in the 100-metre and 200-metre free style and the 100-metre backstroke. Coming from a family of athletes and surrounded by cricketers, Nataraj was taught to bowl rather than throw.

“From a very young age I learnt how to bowl. Even now, I can’t play with people who throw the ball – I just can’t throw it. I learnt it properly. We always played it as a match at home; it was never just for fun. I learnt how to compete in sports from an early age. And I got into swimming really young – I took part in my first race at the age of four,” he said.

Nataraj won that first race, and the one after it, and he just kept winning. So much so that whenever he entered an event, he expected to win – anything less felt below his standards. “I was never put into swimming to win; I was just put into it to learn the sport. I won my first race at four, and for a few years I never lost. So I never liked losing after that,” he said.

For an elite athlete like Nataraj, life is highly disciplined and controlled. But after 20 years of competition, entering a meet feels natural to him. His experience and achievements give him the confidence to perform at his best. “I learnt to be this confident because of the way I train.

I approach every training session like it’s race day. I’m there to be the best I can be, and every day is a race for me. That just naturally helps me perform better when the real competition comes,” he said.

His coach, Dronacharya awardee and India’s top swimming mentor, Nihar Ameen, has played a major role not only in Nataraj’s career but also in his life. More than a coach, Nataraj describes Ameen as a friend who has always supported and looked after him.

“He’s been extremely helpful, very supportive, very understanding, very caring. And both of us have the same goals in mind. He understands how I am – ‘tolerates’ may not be the right word – but I can be a bit tough to manage.

Even outside the pool, he’s been a great friend and has taken good care of me.” Now in the off-season, Nataraj, a Malleswaram boy and self-confessed foodie, is taking time to relax and reflect on his long competitive season.

“I keep telling everyone Malleswaram’s my area – it’s like my adda,” he said with a laugh. When asked about his favourite food joint in the area, he replied without hesitation, “CTR. It’s been a while since I’ve been there because I don’t live in Malleswaram any more, since my academy is at the Padukone-Dravid Centre.

My favourite place to eat in Malleswaram is CTR, and my new current favourite is Firearm Chaats. Bengaluru in general is a great place to live. For swimming, it’s even better – 10 or 15 years ago, it was the only place you could get good coaching, and even now it’s known for that.

I love the weather – that’s the main thing for me. And another plus is, I get access to the best coffee in the world.” His next tournament is the Nettakallappa Swimming Competition, set to take place next week. Looking forward to the event, Nataraj described it as a fun one, featuring the Skins format – an elimination-style race where swimmers are knocked out each round until the last one standing takes the prize.