Well of the Idea

70-year-old Naik,who retired as a clerk from the same school,says,“I come from a small village in Alibaug,where I learnt to swim as a child and developed a love for it. After coming to Mumbai in 1957,I continued to practice swimming when I was living at Girgaum. I kept in touch with the sport by attending the Mafatlal Club regularly.”

It was a chance remark from a renowned swimmer that started it all. In 1975,Avinash Sarang,a state swimmer who had crossed the English Channel,visited Tilak Vidyalaya for an awards function.

“When we were showing him around,he saw the well,which was not in use at the time. He suggested that it would make a good place for training swimmers and the idea took root,” Naik says.

The school management approved the idea and had the well cleaned.

Today,Naik boasts having trained thousands of swimmers,many of whom have gone on to win prizes in swimming competitions.

Naik also takes pride in the fact that there has been no accident with any swimmer under his care.

“Parents trust me. Students who had trained here years ago and who are now married send their kids to our well to learn swimming,” says Naik.

When asked why he feels the well is a better training ground than swimming pools,Naik says,“The main reason is that unlike swimming pools and clubs that charge around a thousand rupees a month,we charge Rs 350 for three months,which ensures that children from middle-class families get a chance to learn swimming. Besides,the water here is cleaner than that of swimming pools in which chemicals are added all the time.”

Rohan Bapat (24),a former student of Naik who now assists him in instructing budding swimmers,says,“I learnt swimming under Naik sir. He ensured that all his students learnt it well. Now I help sir in training students. The teaching here is so effective that we get around 300 new students every year.”