Rehan poncha biography definition
Rehan Pocha: In Conversations
It was in the winter of when Rehan Poncha had decided to quit what he did best. At 18, with four junior national titles and a handful of international medals at the Asian Age Group meets and SAF Games, the Parsi-born Bangalore lad wanted to give up swimming after he had failed to qualify in the m butterfly event for the Athens Olympics by seconds.
"I had stopped enjoying swimming and I felt stuck. It was the worst phase of my life and every day was a mental battle as I could not improve my timings," Poncha told DNA.
Today, the year-old Arjuna awardee is the most successful Indian swimmer with three senior national titles, and twice a winner of the best sportsperson award at the National Games. The Olympian is also the proud owner of over 25 international medals.
"Five years back, my only aim was to enjoy swimming. I cannot believe that I have actually been able to achieve all that I have since then," said an emotional Poncha who was adjudged the best swimmer at the recently-concluded senior national championship in Thiruvananthapuram.
Poncha, who was training under Nihar Ameen at KC Reddy Swim Centre, decided to move to Basavangudi Aquatic Centre and train under national coach Pradeep S Kumar. Two years later, Poncha won his first senior national title dethroning Arjun Muralidharan of Indian Police who had dominated Indian swimming in the men&#;s category.
"I credit my success to the staff at BAC and Pradeep sir who has encouraged me during my toughest days," said the senior national champion who completes his fifth year at BAC.
Though Poncha defended his title in Hyderabad nationals, he says the championship he won this year means more to him. He eclipsed five senior national records in his five individual events to win the title. Poncha also defeated Arjun in the m butterfly for the first time and also claimed the gold in the m butterfly.
"I had lost to Arjun in the last four years. I h "In my view success can be defined in one word "Perseverance". It's the one thing I based my career on. It's what kept me going against the odds of swimming against people who were times my size, with more talent, or with access to far better facilities. I was born premature and was a very sickly child. The doctors advised my parents to get me into the water to beat respiratory ailments. I swam my first race at 7, and came second last. I hated it. I've always been very competitive and hate to lose. At 7, after losing that race, I was probably one of the most disturbed people on the planet and told my dad I'd keep swimming till I won. That's how I began swimming, fell in love with the water, with racing, and never stopped. Perseverance - that's how I spell success." - Rehan Poncha. There is nothing more inspiring than being with someone who has lived a life of deep discipline, determination and beaten the odds to taste success. Rehan's is an inspiring story - from beating bronchitis and the natural disadvantages of being a premature baby, to becoming an Olympian and then wanting to do it all over again with Golf! And he tells it very well, holding audiences as much with his intellect and wit as his genuinely easy connect with people. Inspiring and deeply motivating Rehan's story focuses on dreaming big and never giving up. Using real examples from his life of perseverance, hard work and sacrifice, Rehan's story holds practical lessons for the challenges in every journey - be it the life of a student, a corporate executive, an athlete or a leader. Rehan's past corporate speaking engagements include sessions at the CII across India, CLO forums, bankers and management consultants, corporate houses such as Thompson, Johnnie Walker India, Reliance Brands, Kamani Oils etc. and leading educational institutes such as Symbiosis, NMIMS, Thapars and a host of schools across the country as well. To inquire about Motivational Talks with Rehan Poncha, or for more After representing India at the Beijing Olympics, Rehan Poncha, the poster boy of Indian swimming, had to make a big decision about his career. But instead of succumbing to the short shelf-life of a sports career, the Olympics swimmer and recipient of the Arjuna Award, chose to reinvent himself at the age of 26 and switch careers and try a completely different sport, golf. It's been almost a year into golfing, and Rehan is already chalking out the next innings of his career as a sportsperson. His dream, in his own words, is to be a “double Olympian”. “After swimming, I want to be good enough to represent India in a second sport, which is golf,” he quips, as he tells us about his current passion and the extensive training that he has been undertaking now. Rehan Poncha: I was seven years old and my parents wanted me constructively occupied. They offered me a choice between a swimming class and a dance class. I chose to dance, but I was very shy and very young, and the teacher’s direction to duet dance with a girl terrified me! So, I quit dance and chose swimming and that’s one reason I did so! I have also always been very competitive. I didn't see a medal at the end of a dance class, but I knew there were medals and trophies after a swimming class. Therefore, swimming won. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. A true sportsman is a hunter lost in the jungle, trying to make his way through the dense lost world. Every sportsman has a story to tell, while good ones inspire themselves, better one inspires others and the great ones reinvent and write a new chapter when you think it was an ending. 12 years ago, Rehan Jahangir Poncha became the poster boy of Indian Swimming when he represented India at the Beijing Olympics. A sportsman's shelf-life is short but instead of fading away with time, Poncha decided to start with the second inning of his career. The six-time national champion Indian swimmer, Olympian and Arjuna Award winner, made his masterstroke and moved to golf. Entrepreneur India got into an exclusive conversation with Rehan Poncha during his workshop at Phoenix Marketcity, Mumbai, where he told us about his swimming journey, began, a defining moment in his athletic history, starting his second inning with golf, his fitness routine, his entrepreneur side and a lot more. I began swimming when I was seven years old. My immunity was low, and I'd often get bronchitis or a cough and cold. The doctor advised my parents to take me to the pool and learn how to swim as it strengthens the lungs. I was always competitive, and soon after I started, I wanted to race and win. That's how my journey began. I've always had big dreams. For two decades, I dreamt of being good enough to represent my country at the Olympics. I worked very hard and was very fortunate to be able to have that dream come true. A year after I retired from professional swimming, I tried my hand at Golf and fell in love with the game. I've been training for a few years for this new sport and have started winning at club tournaments and am playing qual After retiring at 26, how Olympic swimmer Rehan Poncha is gearing up for a second act
Rehan’s goal is to clear the National Qualifiers for the Amateur Circuit in July next year, following which he hopes to join the National Circuit and compete with some of the best golfers in the country. A step, which we can only hope, brings him closer to his Olympics dream. In an exclusive interview with YS Weekender, Rehan Poncha tells us about his plans for the next phase of his career, his fitness secrets, and his coaching clinic, ‘SwimSmart with Rehan Poncha’
YS Weekender: Why did you choose swimming over other activities?
YSW: How do you stay fit?
RP: The key to fi
How did your swimming journey begin?
What more in store for you? Tell us your upcoming plans