With seven medals, including five golds, at the recent Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi, it is hard to believe Kurian Jacob took up swimming seriously at 70. “I might have started swimming before I started walking,” says Kurian who competed in the 75-79 years old category.

“I was one of 10 children, and I might have been in water a lot, playing in the tributary of the Meenachil River with my older siblings,” he says of his childhood at Thidanadu, which lies between Kanjirapally and Erattupetta, which he believes might have contributed to his penchant for swimming. 

Kurian came back empty-handed from his first Kerala State and Inter-State Seniors Athletics championships in 2019, but two years later, he won his first gold medal at the Inter-State Seniors meet. What happened in the intervening two years led Kurian to that medal and subsequent golds at other competitions. 

“I took to YouTube to hone my skills. I watched videos to learn more. Public pools were closed at the time. However, in 2021, when the pools re-opened I started swimming again. That is how I got better at it.” Even today, he trains at the Yacht Club swimming pool in Kochi. He swims for almost two hours, at least six days a week, covering three kilometres in the 25 metres pool. 

Over the past five years, he has won 119 medals at various national and international sports meets, the latest medal haul being at Abu Dhabi games. Kurian participated at his first international competition, the European Masters’ Games (EMG) in 2023, in Finland, where he won five medals — three silver and two gold. There has been no looking back for him since then. 

In 2024, he participated in the Pan American Masters Games held in Cleveland, USA. He bagged two golds, a silver and a bronze medal. Last year he bagged nine medals at Taipei, at the World Masters Games, which is held once in four years. Open Masters Games is an annual event.

Right now, his focus is international events.  The medals he has won bear testimony to his hard work and determination. 

This resolve led him to win the gold medal in the open waters swimming competition in Abu Dhabi. “This was February, though they said the temperature was 21 degrees Celsius, it felt more like 18. It was a windy winter day, and the water was cold. We had to swim 2.5 kilometres. The minute I went into the water, the cold hit me, my leg cramped, and I drank quite a bit of the salt water too. I thought I would ask for a rescue because I did not think I could finish it. But I did, and won the gold too!”

While others quit, Kurian persevered and won. This year, he also graduated to the 75-79 years-old category. “I was one of the youngest participants in that group.”

At Abu Dhabi, he also won gold for the 800 metres, 400 metres, 200 metres freestyle and 200 metres breaststroke, apart from a silver in the 100 metres freestyle and bronze in the 50 metres freestyle. There is a cap on the number of events an individual could participate in; it was seven at Abu Dhabi. 

Although he is self-taught, this year he hired a swimming coach for a couple of weeks. “I wanted one to see if my strokes were right. Also, it is difficult to find coaches for seniors.”  

He makes a strong case for Government support or aid in the form of incentives for seniors who return with medals from international events. “Seniors bear all the costs if they want to participate in international events, unlike younger sportspeople who would get some sponsorships or support from the government. States such as Delhi and Punjab have incentivised winning medals at national events, even for senior participants. They give a cash purse to medal winners. I am not asking for expenses to be borne, but some appreciation or acknowledgement goes a long way, at least for the medal winners.” He calls this a main ‘challenge’. 

Even when it comes to sports policy and its formulation, he says, elderly athletes don’t figure. “It will keep seniors healthy, and the health of the nation will improve.”  

Kurian started his career as a banker with Federal Bank, before moving on to Standard Chartered and Gulf Bank; he retired from the National Bank of Kuwait and settled down in Kochi in 2017. His ‘manager’ is his wife, Sunu, who he says is integral to what he has achieved. She accompanies him to his competitions. His other interests include kombucha brewing and slow cooking. He also mentors a group practising intermittent fasting.     

If you thought he was going to rest on his laurels, Kurian has already registered for the World Masters Games scheduled to be held in Kansai, Japan, in 2027.

Published – March 18, 2026 08:35 pm IST