Teen sensation Manavi Varma played a massive role in the Karnataka dominance of the swimming competition in the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2025 in Bihar.
She won three gold and a silver to power Karnataka’s 17-gold and 33-medal haul in the Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD) Swimming Pool.
It was third KIYG competition for Manavi Varma, a Khelo India Athlete. By all accounts, she has gone from strength to strength. In 2022, she had won a bronze in 200m individual medley. Last year, she won silver in 200m medley and 100m breaststroke. And now she has emerged a golden girl for Karnataka with victories in the 100m Breaststroke, 50m Butterfly, 200m Medley and a silver in 50m Breaststroke.
She has a simple response to questions on her improvement “Honestly speaking it is training, training and training. The more you train the more persistent you are, the more you get better,” the 16-year-old said. She trains in the famed Khelo India-accredited academy, Dolphin Aquatics, housed in the Padukone Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru.
Manavi has competed in the World Junior Championship where she came up with encouraging performances. In the 2023 National Games, Goa, she registered Games records in 200m Medley and 50m Butterfly.
A lot is going for Manavi Varma, and she is understandably optimistic about a career in swimming. “For now, I’m looking to have a career in swimming but I’m also looking to pursue my studies. As of now, my priority is swimming,” she said.
Manvi Varma left Delhi for Bengaluru
Manavi’s family moved from Delhi to Bengaluru more than 10 years ago, Her mother Rama plays a key role in shaping the 16-year-old’s career: “I never allowed my kids to watch TV. I wanted them to take up some sport. And growing up, she played multiple sports and she was good at every one of them. She is the competitive type. Eventually she picked up swimming,” Rama Varma said.
Manavi understands the role her parents have played in her development. “When you are a kid. You know little. You are totally dependent on your parents. They have your interests at heart. My parents are no different. They have always been very encouraging,” she said.
“It’s everyone’s dream to win gold in every event you compete in. But I’m not thinking too much. Just trying to swim a good race each time. If I win, that’s very good but if I don’t, I guess it’s okay,” Manavi Varma said in the lead-up to 50m Breaststroke where she fell just short of a fourth gold medal win.
Call it what you will, but with those words she showed a proclivity for process, not results which should take her far.