Sports | Sunday 23 September, 2018 5:00 pm |

GEMS New Millennium School, Al Khail has announced the winners of its Annual Primary Swim Gala. The competition takes place every year during the month of September, and 40 primary level students enter in the hope of winning and qualifying so they can participate in inter-school, regional and international swimming championships.

Grade 6 students Anirudh Krishnamoorthy and Iravan Aigaonkar, made their mark as star swimmers, and demonstrated tips and techniques to their younger peers at the event. To date, Anirudh has won 45 medals at regional and international level, including 17 Gold, 19 Silver and nine Bronze as well as two individual trophies.

Ms Fatima Martin, Principal GEMS NMS, said: “The Primary Swim Gala is an event that students in the Kindergarten and Primary stages look forward to. The buzz around the gala includes fun activities, a photo booth, synchronised swimming by students who are not involved in the swimming races – these extra activities offer all students the opportunity to get involved.

“The competitive students who take part in the main event, receive ongoing training which is methodical and focused, allowing them to measure their best timings against that of talented peers along with opportunities to participate in many regional and international swimming competitions. Our pools are well-maintained and our swimming instructors are well-trained, both of which complement the training that our students receive.”

Each year, the Swim Gala is split into seven categories, separate for boys and girls for grades two to five. Three different lengths take place, and include final stage competitions on 25m freestyle, 25m breast stroke and 25m backstroke. This year’s event saw a synchronised swimming display by girls from Grade 5, which brought in an emphatic round of applause and won the hearts of the audience.

GEMS New Millennium School sets and seeks to meet high expectations for its students, not just academically but also in terms of personal development. The school envisions that its students will grow to be empowered as global citizens who not only aspire to make a difference in the world, but truly believe that they can.