Srinagar, Sep 5: Fifty-five swimmers completed a two-month journey at Nigeen—not just to become better swimmers, but to become more confident and responsible around water.

The second phase of the Basic Swimming Training Course of Swim N Survival Society – Kashmir (SnSS-K) concluded at the Water Sports Centre, Nigeen, with 55 participants receiving certificates and Society souvenirs for successfully completing their training.
The course was designed around a broader idea of swimming. Along with swimming skills, the participants were introduced to water safety, drowning prevention, basic rescue and lifesaving techniques, boating and recreational kayaking.
The concluding ceremony brought together trainers, swimmers, parents, members and well-wishers. Ghulam Jeelani Zargar, Director Horticulture, P&M, attended as Chief Guest, while Rauf Tramboo, a prominent adventure sports and tourism leader, was the Guest of Honour.
Zargar appreciated the Society’s efforts, particularly its decision to make swimming training accessible to non-swimmers without treating the initiative simply as a commercial activity.
He said that while many areas of life are moving towards commercialisation, initiatives that work for the betterment of society and help people acquire useful and potentially life-saving skills deserve special appreciation.
Tramboo highlighted another important aspect of swimming in Kashmir. He said swimming cannot be treated merely as a sport in a region surrounded by water bodies.
Lakes, rivers and streams are part of everyday life in Kashmir, while floods and other water-related emergencies remain a reality. In such circumstances, he said, trained swimmers can provide valuable assistance and may become the first line of support until professional rescue teams arrive.
The programme also carried a reminder of why the Society came into existence in the first place.
The 2014 floods exposed a serious shortage of trained swimmers and rescue personnel. Out of that difficult experience emerged Swim N Survival Society – Kashmir, with the objective of creating greater awareness and developing swimming, water-safety and lifesaving skills among people.
Over the years, the Society has continued that mission through swimming courses, water-safety programmes, lifesaving activities and various water-sports initiatives.
For the organisation, every new swimmer represents more than another person who can swim. It represents one more person who understands the risks associated with water, one more person who can respond with confidence and, potentially, one more person capable of helping someone else in distress.
The concluding ceremony was attended by Shakeel Ahmad Shah, President; Riyaz Ahmad Wani, Water Sports Expert; Yasir Makhdoomi, Secretary; Zahid Iqbal; Mudasir Chesti, Water Sports Expert; and Er. Mushtaq Wani, veteran sports enthusiast, besides Society trainers, members, parents and participants.
Congratulating all 55 swimmers, the Society thanked the trainers, parents, members and well-wishers for their continued support.
The Society’s message was clear: teach a person to swim, and you may give that person more than a sport—you may give them a life-saving skill.