He lives in Dubai and has swum competitively in meets not just in Dubai but in surrounding places like Oman and Bahrain. On July 9-10, 2011, 15-year-old Kayan Bharucha made a splash in India, winning seven gold medals (individual and team) at the 38th Junior Maharashtra State Amateur Aquatic Championships at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Poona. Swimming in the Boys group 1 (juniors) category, the lad will now represent Maharashtra at the junior nationals to be held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh from August 5-9.
Committed and versatile, Bharucha picked up gold at the state meet in 400 m freestyle (4:34.51), 800 m freestyle (9:31.94), 100 m backstroke (1:05.24), 200 m backstroke (2:24.67) and a bronze in the 4x100 m IM (individual medley) with a timing of 5:21.08. He also swam for the team in the 4x100 m and 4x200 m freestyle relays and the 4x100 m medley relay, with the team on top of the podium in all three races. In May, the teenager had proved his prowess at the Greater Mumbai Amateur Aquatic Association meet at Chembur by collecting five medals (four gold and one silver) and establishing two meet records.
"Kayan has been swimming seriously for the past seven to eight years. He took to the sport as a schoolboy in Calcutta, facilitated by the fact that we had easy access to a good pool and coach at the Saturday Club,” explains his father Kurush who is posted in Dubai with multinational giant Unilever. "We have been in the UAE (United Arab Emirates) for the past four years. Prior to that, we were in Calcutta and in the United Kingdom.”
Kayan Bharucha: seven gold medals at state meet
Kayan is in Class 10 at the Dubai Modern High School (an Indian school which offers the same curriculum as in India), and will appear for his ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) board exams in February-March next year. The sporting spirit runs in the family. Kayan’s younger sibling Zahan "is also a good swimmer and already excels at school level,” states their father. Kurush himself is no stranger to competitive sport, having captained his school/college volleyball teams and represented Bombay at inter-university level. Kurush had also won in badminton, playing for St Xavier’s College at inter college tournaments in Bombay in 1984-’85. As part of the Parsi Cyclists Sports Club, he took part in the ‘gentleman’s game’ (cricket) in the ‘A’ division of the Kanga League.
It is the contribution of his parents, by way of encouragement and providing the required infrastructure and exposure, that forms the largest part of his success, believes Kayan. "His mother Kainaz in particular has always been by his side and is his biggest fan, to-ing and fro-ing him, from pool to pool, morning and evening, with multiple pickups and drop offs at his various training venues!” chuckles Kurush. The family residence in Bombay is at Cusrow Baug, he adds.