Over five decades ago, when swimmers from Rajasthan participated in the National Swimming Championships, competitors from other states would look at the Rajasthan squad in awe. They wondered how a desert state like Rajasthan could produce swimmers.
The swimming pool at the century-and-a-half-old Mayo College, often called the 'Eton of the East', served as nurturing waters for aspiring swimmers.
Despite being an old-style 25-metre pool, it produced numerous National champions, including Rima Dutt, Manjari Bhargava, Anil Ganju, Meenaxi Ganju, and Glenda D'Souza, each excelling in their respective categories.
Rima Dutt, a successful swimmer, represented India in the 1966 Bangkok Asian Games and became the first recipient of the prestigious Arjuna Award in swimming.
Following her, Manjari Bhargava won the Arjuna Award in 1974 for being the National 3-metre springboard diving champion in the women's category.
Manjari, who passed away on November 5 at the age of 68 in Pune, where her son resides, battled a brain tumor for over a year-and-a-half.
Like Rima, Anil and Meenaxi Ganju, she trained in the modest Mayo College pool, which was far from the 50-metre Olympic standard size. The pool seemed inadequate, but the passion of these swimmers enabled them excel.
Manjari wasn't even a student at Mayo College; she attended the St Mary's Convent school, which had no swimming pool. She began swimming at Mayo College's pool as an outsider when just ten years of age, paying a fee to access it.
Rajlaxmi, a coach from the National Institute of Sports, recognised her talent. She initially trained as a swimmer and within her first year became junior champion in various events in 1967, setting records that amazed even seasoned athletes.
Under Rajlaxmi's guidance, Manjari transitioned to diving, where she excelled at the national level. Mayo College had a three-metre springboard.
As her coach trained her in diving, she overcame her initial fear and mastered the sport. Springboard diving requires strength to depress the board and skill to perform acrobatic moves mid-air before heading into the water.