Conrad makes roaring comeback

Leslie FERNANDO

Former St. Joseph’s College and most experienced Sri Lanka swimmer Conrad Francis makes a roaring come back to competitive swimming from down under being selected to swim at the 11th South Asian Games to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 27 to February 8.

Conrad performed very well to win all three events at the recently concluded National Swimming Championships which was the final trial to pick swimmers for South Asian Games.

He excelled in the 50 metres butterfly 26.25 secs, 100 metres butterfly 57.88 secs and 50 metres breast stroke 31.30 secs.

Conrad will swim in the 50 metres, 100 metres butterfly stroke, 50 metres back stroke and in the 100x4 medley relay in Bangladesh.

The Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union and Sri Lanka National Olympic Committee together watched over Conrads progress in Australia thus inviting him to swim for Sri Lanka at several international competitions spanning between 1997-2007 such as the South Asian Federation, Asian Games, the World Games, the Commonwealth Games culminating with the Sydney Olympic 2000 and the Athens Olympic Games 2004 and was conferred with National Sporting Honours in 2008.

Conrad had his early schooling at St. Joseph’s College, kindergarten to year 10. Left college in 1996 at which point he was offered an ICC Committee Solidarity Scholarship through the Asia Sports Linkages Program, sponsored by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

In 1997, under this program the Nunawading Swimming Club, Victoria was arranged for his specialized training to further purse his swimming career under head coach-Leigh Nugent and his Assistant Mark Thompson. His schooling facilities were arranged with Rowville Secondary College.

Conrad joined Rowville Secondary college in 1997 and competed his Victoria Certificate of Education in 1999. At Rowville he was recognized not only for his sporting abilities but was also recognised for his academic achievements.

At the Swinburn Universities of Technology he completed his Diploma in sports and recreation in the year 2006-2007.

Swinburns recognized his outstanding abilities and offered him a position in the Board of Trustees for University Grants Commission and he continues to serve in this position todate.

He sat for coaching exams at the Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association (ASCT) and completed II stages already. Presently he is reading for his Silver Licence in coaching a course he has attended in May this year 2009 in Brisbane.

He had the privilege of being the Swimming Coach/Instructor at Inside Edge Focus-Fitness, 120 Camberwell Road, Hawtorn East, Victoria, Australia - working with young children who have no experience with water to advance swimmers aged from 17 through to adult of all ages.

He has been a select few of the coaches to have been offered this rare opportunity.

Presently Conrad is spending time with his parents in Colombo. He has been invited to coach the Bishops College swimming team as well as assist to former Head Coach of Sri Lanka in fashioning some of the elite swimmers of his squad. Both of which he has taken on.