Shantipriya Raychaudhury/Kolkata

Like many village children, Zoya Jannat first jumped into water - a pond surrounded by a marsh -  at the age of five. But her swimming journey was made possible by her mother, Nasima Bibi, who put both her children into the water so they could learn swimming.

While her son could not continue with the sport, her daughter Jannat went on to master it.

Even as a child, Jannat did not merely splash her hands and feet in the water like others. It seemed as if she could communicate with the water.

Zoya Jannat ready for the splash

Her father, Sheikh Mehtab Ali, and mother Nasima Bibi soon realised their daughter’s special connection with swimming. When Jannat was around ten years old, her father learned about a district-level open-water swimming competition. Without any formal training, Jannat entered the competition wearing an inexpensive cotton frock. To everyone’s surprise, she finished first.

It was at this competition that local coaches discovered Jannat. They saw the determination and potential within her.

Impressed by their daughter’s achievement, her parents decided to help her pursue swimming seriously. They enrolled her at the swimming club at Rabindra Sarobar in Kolkata’s Lake Gardens. That marked the beginning of her journey as a competitive swimmer.

Zoya Jannat with her coach Akbar Ali Mir

Jannat is now training under Akbar Ali Mir, a former national swimmer and coach at the Eastern Railway Swimming Academy in Behala. Under his guidance, she has already competed in six Junior National Championships and done well.

Coach and former international swimmer Akbar Ali Mir is highly optimistic Jannat’s career.

“Zoya Jannat has proved her exceptional talent at just 15 years of age and has already participated in six Junior Nationals,” he said.

According to Mir, Jannat is undergoing rigorous training under his guidance. He believes her determination and ability to work hard could take her a long way. He sees the potential for her to achieve greater success at both the national and international levels.

Jannat’s performances at the KVS National Swimming Meet have strengthened her coach’s confidence. She secured first place in the 100-metre butterfly and 200-metre individual medley events, demonstrating her ability to compete at the national level.

Zoya Jannat preparing for a competition

Jannat comes from a financially struggling family in Kolkata’s Lake Gardens. Her father, Sheikh Mehtab Ali, works for a local cable company, and the family of four manages to make ends meet.

Providing Jannat with good-quality swimming costumes and nutritious food was often a challenge.

For the young swimmer, adapting to a sophisticated swimming pool and modern sporting facilities was difficult to begin with. Getting into the pool at 4 am in the biting cold, following a strict diet and undergoing intense physical training often left her physically and mentally exhausted.

She was also unfamiliar with modern swimming costumes and goggles. Some children at the academy would stare at her because of her simple clothing.

But Jannat’s goal was firmly fixed even at that young age.

Every night, when the pain in her muscles became difficult to bear, she would close her eyes and think about her parents’ dreams for her. She would also remember swimming in the little pond during her childhood.

Zoya Jannat during a competition

Jannat began achieving success in various junior-level state competitions and school games. Her timings continued to improve with every competition.

Her performances eventually established her as a promising young swimmer on the national stage.

Jannat has won gold in the 100 and 200-metre butterfly races; Silver in the 50-metre breaststroke and bronze in the 4x100-metre freestyle relay in the Under-14 girls’ swimming team of the KVs in the School Games Federation of India (SGFI).

Jannat is a Class 9 student at PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya, Ballygunge, Kolkata. A

Her biggest ambition is to represent India at the international level and compete in international championships as a member of the Indian national swimming team.

ALSO READ: Sarah Mehmood weaves her stories around Indian Muslim milieu

For Jannat, the journey that began in a small, moss-covered pond has now opened the door to a much bigger dream: to swim for India and bring glory to the country.