Shillong, Oct 26: Pine Mount School and St Edmund’s School emerged overall champions in the 1st Interschool Swimming Championship 2025, organised by True North Fitness Centre and Swimming Academy at Lapalang, Shillong.

The two-day event concluded on Saturday with thrilling relay races that kept spectators — including parents, teachers, and schoolmates — on their feet, cheering passionately for their teams.

The chief guest, Padma Shri Patricia Mukhim, Editor of The Shillong Times, praised the young swimmers for their talent, dedication, and sportsmanship, highlighting swimming as a lifelong form of fitness and discipline. Brian Kharpran Daly attended as guest of honour, and both lauded True North for promoting the sport in Meghalaya.

A total of 155 swimmers from 25 schools participated, with St Edmund’s and Pine Mount fielding the largest contingents. St Edmund’s topped the boys’ category with 29 medals (10 gold, 10 silver, 9 bronze), while Pine Mount dominated the girls’ section with 19 medals (6 gold, 6 silver, 7 bronze).

Two individual athletes stood out for their extraordinary solo efforts — Shaun M. Diengdoh of Assam Rifles Public School and Nazareen Pariong of KJP Girls’ High School. Competing as the only representatives from their schools, they finished third (boys) and second (girls) overall, respectively.

Interestingly, both are children of True North instructors — Shaun is the son of Shelly Diengdoh, while Nazareen is the daughter of Landaris Pariong. Shaun dominated the 15–17 boys’ division with five gold medals, while Nazareen swept the 15–17 girls’ category with six golds and one silver.

Another exceptional performer was Meiaipynsan Lyngdoh Tron of Seven Set School, who claimed all seven gold medals for his school, helping Seven Set secure second place in the boys’ team standings with a total of 13 medals.

Though swimming remains a popular pastime in Meghalaya, its growth has been limited by the state’s cool climate. True North’s heated and covered pools in Lapalang and Mission Compound have changed that — enabling year-round training and competition. This championship marked a major step in the academy’s mission to nurture Meghalaya’s next generation of competitive swimmers.

Best Swimmer Awards

Boys

10 years: Jeremaiah D. Shadap (St Edmund’s) & Amaziah A. Diengdoh (LEADS School) – Joint Winners (1 Gold, 1 Silver each)

11–12 years: Keanan G.N. Momin (St Edmund’s) – 4 Gold, 1 Silver

13–14 years: Meiaipynsan L. Tron (Seven Set) – 7 Gold, 1 Silver

15–17 years: Shaun M. Diengdoh (Assam Rifles Public School) – 5 Gold

18–20 years: Banpynshngain Syngwan (Shillong College) – 3 Gold

Girls

9–10 years: Ia E. Khongji (Pine Mount) – 1 Gold, 1 Silver

11–12 years: Anisa R. Phanbuh (Jyoti Sroat School) – 3 Gold

13–14 years: Verem G. Nongsiej (KV EAC) – 3 Gold

15–17 years: Nazareen Pariong (KJP Girls’ High School) – 6 Gold, 1 Silver

18–20 years: Pdiangsuklang Syngwan (Shillong College) – 3 Gold