Shillong, October 26: Pine Mount School and St Edmund’s won the 1st Interschool Swimming Championship 2025, organised by True North Fitness Centre and Swimming Academy, in Lapalang here yesterday.
The competitiveness of the swimmers was excellent on both days and concluded on Saturday with the thrilling relay races, which were accompanied by the enthusiastic cheering of schoolmates, parents, teachers and others.
The chief guest at the closing ceremony was newspaper editor Padma Shri Patricia Mukhim, while Brian Kharpran Daly was the guest of honour, Mukhim extolled the virtues of swimming as a form of exercise and praised the young swimmers who entertained all present. Through his championship, she hoped, many athletes will be discovered and have their talent nurtured.
St Edmund’s and Pine Mount had the biggest contingents at the event, where a total of 155 swimmers from 25 schools registered to take part.
St Edmund’s bagged a total of 29 medals – 10 gold, 10 silver and 9 bronze – while Pine Mount picked up 19 – 6 gold, 6 silver and 7 bronze.
Also worthy of note were two individual swimmers, Shaun M Diengdoh of Assam Rifles Public School and Nazareen Pariong of KJP Girls’ High School. They were the only representatives of their institutions and single-handedly took third position in the boys’ and second in the girls’ categories respectively.
Both also happen to be children of True North swimming instructors. Shaun, son of Shelly Diengdoh, dominated the 15-17 boys’ category with 5 gold medals, while Nazareen, daughter of Landaris Pariong, swept the 15-17 girls’ division with 6 gold and 1 silver medal.
Another highly successful performance was from Seven Set, where Meiaipynsan Lyngdoh Tron won all 7 gold medals that his school bagged from the two-day championship. His school mates also picked up silver and bronze medals for a total of 13 in the boys’ division, giving them second place behind St Edmund’s.
Although swimming is a popular recreational pastime, what has hampered its growth in Meghalaya is the state’s cold weather. True North’s two centres, in Lapalang and Mission Compound, are both heated and covered, offering a chance for year-round training, fun and learning. This championship is part of True North’s drive to be a place that will help produce competitive swimmers who will take Meghalaya swimming forward and, from what was seen over the last two days, there are plenty of excellent young swimmers in the state who can drive that success.
Best Swimmer (Boys):
10 years – Jeremaiah D Shadap (St Edmund’s) & Amaziah A Diengdoh (LEADS School) – joint winners with 1 gold, 1 silver each
11-12 years – Keanan GN Momin (St Edmund’s) – 4 gold, 1 silver
13-14 years – Meiaipynsan L Tron (Seven Set) – 7 gold, 1 silver
15-17 years – Shaun M Diengdoh (Assam Rifles Public School) – 5 gold
18-20 years – Banpynshngain Syngwan (Shillong College) – 3 gold
Best Swimmer (Girls):
9-10 years – Ia E Khongji (Pine Mount) – 1 gold, 1 silver
11-12 years – Anisa R Phanbuh (Jyoti Sroat School) – 3 gold
13-14 years – Verem G Nongsiej (KV EAC) – 3 gold
15-17 years – Nazareen Pariong (KJP Girls’ High School) – 6 gold, 1 silver
18-20 years – Pdiangsuklang Syngwan (Shillong College) – 3 gold
